Dreams Can Become Reality
by KingKagura
Summary: Just as a quirkless young girl is about to give up on her dream, her destiny changes with the meeting of her idol, All Might. Midoriya Izuku is able to become a hero. After gaining the One For All quirk from All Might, Izuku embarks on her own action-packed adventure, full of friends, rivals, enemies, and romance. KatsuFem!Deku
1. Dreams Can Become Reality

**Hello, everyone!**

 **I'm very sorry that I'm procrastinating on my Naruto fanfics (but I'm kind of lacking in the inspiration department...)**  
 **Anyways, I got the urge to write a KatsuDeku fic! (Because they are adorable and are lifting my spirits from my mother trying to force me to get a job...)**  
 **Hence, why we have this! XD**  
 **(Also, I'm sad about the lack of KatsuFem!Deku fics. Hence, this.)**

 **ANYWAYS,**  
 **This will be mainly a fic in regards to the thought of: "If Deku was a girl, what would happen? What would change?"**  
 **I have a couple ideas, so it won't just be a written version of the anime/manga! XD**

 **I will do my best to keep everyone in character! (I absolutely hate OOC-ness)**

 **Oh! Also, if you have any ideas or a thought like: "It would be really fun if she wrote an XXXX situation..." or etc. Then, I'm all ears! (Except if its explicit/NSFW) [Because my mom looks over my shoulder when I write... and yeah.]**

 **OKAY! Now my note is finally over!**

 **Enjoy the story!~**

* * *

Sobbing and sniffles echoes throughout the park on a certain summer day. The sun beats down on the five children, three on one side and two on the other.

"That's mean, Kacchan." Trembling, the young girl stands firm, tears brimming her eyes as she stares at the offender's red eyes. Behind her, there is a crying boy, bent over on his knees. "Can't you see he's crying?" The girl's dark green curls ruffle with the slight breeze as she shakes in the presence of the blonde boy in front of her. Her emerald eyes are dilated as she slowly brings up her arms in a defensive way in front of her. "If you keep going," The girl is scared, but she can't let this continue. So she musters up her courage, forcing out the words with a slight stutter. "I-I-I'll never forgive you!"

Dumbfounded, the blonde boy in front of her stares at her before his lips curl up into a smirk. He chuckles as the two behind him grow confident and begin bringing out their quirks. "Even though you're Quirkless…" The blonde punches one hand into the other, causing an explosion in his own hand. "...you're pretending to be a hero, Deku?"

The blonde smiles, causing the green-haired girl to gasp and cower.

Moments later, the girl sits on the ground, the sun beating down on her, as she sobs.

 _People are not born equal._

Midoriya Izuku realizes this at age four.

"Ehh… Since you're all third years, it's time for you to think seriously about your future." The teacher begins announcing. "I'll pass out handouts for your future plans now, but you're all…" With a laugh, the teacher throws the pamphlets in the air. "...pretty much planning to go into the hero course, right?"

At his statement, the class all cheers, letting their excitement lead to using their quirk as the scream out, "Yes!"

However, Midoriya Izuku was different. Unlike the rest of the class she had no quirk to showcase—instead, she shrinks even more into her desk with her slightly raised hand, as if to escape notice from the rest of her peers. She was used to it, after ten years of being bullied over and over for her lack of a quirk, she knew it would save her trouble if she stayed low—not that it ever really helped.

Especially, not with her childhood friend, Bakugo Katsuki, in the same class.

"Sensei!" Bakugo's voice quiets down the rest of the crowd's, "Don't lump us all in the same group. I'm not gonna be stuck at the bottom with the rest of these rejects!" Of course, his declaration causes an uproar throughout the class, but Bakugo only laughs in return. "You all should shut up like the extras you are!"

"Oh, if I remember correctly, you want to go to U.A. High, right, Bakugo?" The teacher comments.

Izuku's breath hitches. _U.A.?!_ Hastily, the green-haired girl ducks into her arms, to hide. _Kacchan is going for U.A. too?!_ She peeks up with her emerald eyes as her classmates make a fuss over her childhood friend's choice. _Actually, no—I should have suspected this. After all, this is Kacchan we are talking about—I know he can definitely get in…_

A sudden chill runs through Izuku's spine as he emerald orbs dilate. _—but if Kacchan hears that I also want to go to U.A….!_

"Oh yeah," As if the devil had heard her thoughts, the teacher comments. "Midoriya wanted to go to U.A., too, right?"

A sudden silence engulfs the room, causing Izuku to jump and lift her head. Just as the green-haired girl did, catching the stares of her classmates, they explode into laughter.

"Huh? Midoriya?" Someone calls out. "No way!"

"You can't get into the hero course by just studying!" Another laughs.

At this comment, Midoriya pushes out of her seat to defend herself. "T-they got rid of that rule!" She quickly regrets her decision as she scans the room in her fluster. "There's just no precedent…" Her voice quivers as she catches sight of Bakugo charging at her with his hand raised and eyes wide with a deadly glare.

The impending explosion destroys her desk and throws her backward through the air to the back of the room. Izuku groans as he butt lands on the ground, painfully.

"Hey, Deku!" The growl causes the green-haired girl to look up at the furious blonde before her. Bakugo hands twitch as he declares, "You're below the rejects! You're Quirkless!" Bakugo squeezes his hand into a fist as he growls. "How can you even stand in the same ring as me?!"

On reflex, Midoriya reacts desperately. "No—wait—Kacchan!" Her arms flail with every word, and gradually she begins scooting herself back into the wall. "It's not like I'm trying to compete with you or anything!" When her back hits the wall, Izuku flusters for another way to show she means no harm, her arms waving in the process as a cold sweat runs down her neck. "Believe me!"

Izuku curls up into herself more, her head lowering so that her green curls hang over her eyes and hide her face. "It's just…" With a shaky breath, she mutters. "it's been my goal ever since we were little." Peridot orbs peer up, glancing at the intimidating figure above her. An image of a younger blonde flashes in her mind. "And well…" Izuku averts her eyes, looking away from Katsuki who glares down at her before gradually returning to meet his gaze. "...I won't know until I try…" She trails off.

"What do ya mean _unless you try_?!" Bakugo reacts aggressively, his hands coming out with dark smoke starting to emerge from them. Midoriya gulps as the glares from the boy in front of her and the glares from behind him bare into her. "Are you taking the test for fun?!"

Unable to meet the glares of disdain any longer, Izuku's head drops and her eyes look down as the words pierce her already scarce confidence.

"What the hell do you think you can do?!" Behind Katsuki's gruff voice are snickers from the class as the blonde declares.

"You're **Quirkless**!"

 _People are not born equal._

 _"Oh."_ Katuski's voice echoes through Izuku's mind. _"If you wanna be a hero that badly, there's a quick way to do it. Believe that you'll be born with a Quirk in your next life and take a last chance dive off the roof!"_

Midoriya Izuku fast walks through the back of the school, her eyebrows furrowed as she scans the ground around her. _That idiot! If I really jumped, that would mean you instigated a suicide! Think before you speak!_

Hearing the light splashes coming from the school's koi pond, Izuku turns to it, her breath hitching in surprise.

Three fish surrounds her dirty, burnt notebook, trying to eat it most likely. The girl pauses and watches the three fish silently for a moment before she mutters. "That's not fish food, stupid." She reaches forward, dipping her hand into the water to grab the notebook labeled, _Hero Analysis for the Future #13_. "That's my notebook…" Lifting the damp book with her left hand and scaring away the fish with the movement, Izuku fists her right hand.

"Stupid…"

She whispers to herself.

"Stupid bastard…"

 _People are not born equal._

Ever since she was a little girl in daycare, Midoriya Izuku has always loved heroes.

She would always ask her mom to let her use the computer and every time she would ask her to put on _that_ video.

It was an old video.

A video of a disaster that happened a long time ago.

The video of a hero that debuted right after the incident.

She had watched it so many times that she could recite the exact lines from the video.

 _"Can you see that?"_

 _"He's already saved a hundred people! "_

 _"It's crazy! It hasn't even been ten minutes yet!"_

 _"It's crazy!"_

From the destruction, the fire, the hundreds of people—one laughing, muscular man with a large smile would emerge from the chaos, carrying as many people as he could all over him to safety.

 _"He's laughing!"_

Izuku loves it—his laugh. Her emerald eyes would grow bigger and sparkle as if she were being given a birthday gift at the appearance of the man. His voice would echo through the video, loud and clear, and Izuku would often recite the words herself alongside him.

 _"It's fine now."_

 _"Why?"_

Her smile grows even bigger and her eyes sparkle even brighter as the words flow out from the pro hero's smile.

 ** _"Because I am here."_**

Midoriya Izuku loves heroes, she always has—and her all-time favorite pro hero has always been: _No. 1 Hero,_ ** _All Might_** _._

Whenever she watched the video, young Izuku would always wave her favorite All Might figure in the air and would praise the hero for being so cool.

"Once I get my Quirk, I wanna be like him, too!"

 _People are not born equal._

"You should probably give it up."

At age 4, Midoriya Izuku was left in a state of shock and disbelief.

She is _Quirkless_.

After learning this fact, Izuku spent the night watching her favorite video— _All Might's_ video. Replaying the scene over and over, Izuku can't take her eyes off the screen even as her vision becomes blurry from the building tears.

"Mom…" Hearing her mother come in, Izuku turns the spinning chair to face her mother as she shakily points to the screen.

"Can I… become a hero too…?"

With tears in her eyes, Midoriya Inko hugs her daughter and cries and apologizes to her poor daughter. "I'm sorry, Izuku!"

Inko's voice breaks painfully as she sobs and sniffles, petting her little girl's curly locks as she tightens her hug. "I'm sorry. I'm sorry!"

However, this action only causes the tears to stream down young Izuku's freckled cheeks.

 _No, that's not it—that's not it, Mom._

 _What I wanted you to say back then was—_

 _"You should probably give up."_

 _"I'm sorry, Izuku! I'm sorry. I'm sorry!"_

 _"What the hell can you do?! You're_ ** _Quirkless_ **_!"_

 _That might be true…_

Izuku's hand trembles. Her green curls ruffle in the wind as the bright, blue sky peers down on her and the white, fluffy clouds leisurely float above her head. The earlier incident still leaves her head spinning, but her clenched fists won't stop shaking and her mind can't stop racing.

 _But, even so, I…_

The large, muscular figure ahead of her continues to move away, leaving her behind on that cement roof. His footsteps are loud and clear, ringing in Izuku's ears.

With one large breath and all the courage she could muster, Izuku calls out to the receding figure of her hero— _All Might._

"Even if I don't have a Quirk, can I become a hero?" Izuku's shoulders tense as she stands straight and hollers. At the sudden question, All Might freezes in his step, right before the rails. "Can even someone without a Quirk…" Squeezing her eyes shut, Izuku bellows. "... Be like you?!"

At that moment, Midoriya Izuku had her eyes closed so she did not know what was happening. However, those words caught All Might's attention, causing the pro hero to turn back to face the young girl.

"Without a Quirk…?" All Might mutters out. Suddenly, a flash runs through All Might's mind and the man realizes he has stayed for far too long. _Oh no, holy shit_ — _god damn it…!_ Steam starts seething out of All Might's body as the muscular man starts bending down, curling up into himself.

Of course, young Izuku had no idea what was happening to the pro hero at that moment as she had averted her eyes in her shyness as she continues to explain. "It might've been because I don't have a Quirk, but I'm always made fun of…" The green-haired teen begins fiddling with her thumbs as she speaks. "Maybe that's why… I don't know… But I think saving people is super cool." The words bring a smile to Izuku's face. "Saving people with a fearless smile… I want to be the greatest hero, like you…!" She confesses as she finally brings her emerald eyes to face her hero—her idol—All Might.

Only to find a shriveled older man with long blonde hair and a bony, lanky structure in front of her. Bewildered, Izuku's jade eyes widen in disbelief as her mouth gapes open and she releases a confused bellow at the sight.

Meanwhile, a certain blonde teen walks through an alley with his posse of two of his classmates. Bakugo Katsuki takes a sip from his juice can as he walks ahead of the group.

"Hey, Katsuki," One of the posse members, the tall one with messy black hair, starts, "Aren't you and Midoriya childhood friends?"

The other guy with straight long hair adds in, "You went a little overboard today."

Sharp crimson eyes narrow at the ground before him as he thought of the girl in question—his childhood friend, Midoriya Izuku. "It's her fault for getting in my way." gruffly, the blonde answers, kicking the soda bottle in his way.

"Don't let it get to you," The long-haired teen suggests.

However, Bakugo couldn't quite 'let it go'—after all, the stupid girl was still _trying_. Her words replay in his mind like a broken record.

 _"It's just that it's been my goal ever since I was little."_ Her green curly locks are in her face, hiding her eye from him, but Katsuki can still note the freckles on her cheeks and the slight vibrating shakes throughout her body as she speaks. _"And well…"_ Her voice trembles as her jade eyes move to meet his own crimson ones. _"I won't know unless I try…"_

The words light a fury within the young blonde. "She's an idiot dreaming like a kid!" His right-hand squeezes the empty can of juice in his hands as his temper leads to him exploding it. He throws the crushed and burnt can to the side in his rage. "Just watching her pisses me off!"

His posse members let out an awkward chuckle and then a sigh as they exchange looks.

The tall, black-haired boy suggests. "Then, why don't we go to the arcade for a change of pace? You'll come, too, right Katsuki?"

"Hmm?" Bakugo grunts. "Yeah."

"Then let's go to the one in front of the station." The long-haired teen comments. "There's a lot of prey there."

The other teen furrows his head, "You're terrible."

"Hah?!" Bakugo gets angry at the stupid suggestion. "If we get caught, it'll end up on my record!"

However, Bakugo can tell that his words didn't even reach the two boys. The blonde teen's two posse members both point to behind Katsuki as their eyes dilate. "Hey, look!"

Bakugo raises an eyebrow at their reaction and turns around to see what all the fuss is about.

The irky sound of something slimy slithering is what Katsuki first notes, and then he notes the gross puke green liquid which begins to rise above him. Its shrill voice rings through his ears, "An invisible cloak with a great Quirk!" Its side and bare yellow eyes focus on him, leaving an irky feeling as the thing opens its huge mouth.

Katsuki's scarlet eyes dilate as the monster approaches him.

 _"I cannot simply say, 'You can become a hero even without power.'"_

Izuku Midoriya walks, distraught, as she flips through her burnt and dirty notebook—now long dry after the events of the day. The sneers resurface in her mind, echoing true.

 _"She still can't face reality, even though she's already a third year in junior high._ —the words of her classmates.

 _"It's time for you to think seriously about your future."_ —the lecture from her teacher.

 _"You also have to consider what's realistic."_ —the advice from her idol, No. 1 Hero, All Might, in his own injured form.

After flipping through the pages, Midoriya shuts the notebook and continues to walk. _Even a top pro said it._ Tears well up on the edges of her eyes and she brings up her hand to hide a sniffle. _Don't cry! You knew, didn't you? The reality._

 _You knew. That's why you were trying so desperately._

 _You were averting your eyes, not looking at reality._

A sudden boom causes Midoriya to awaken from her trance and raise her head in the direction of the loud sound. Seeing the police car and the smoke emitting from the shopping district, the young girl stops to stare at the scene. _Is this where the explosion earlier was…?_

 _Hang on, does that mean I came out of habit without noticing?_ Midoriya grits her teeth at the thought, berating herself as the light turns green, allowing pedestrians to cross. Unconsciously, the girl moves and her legs take her closer and closer to the scene of the crime. _Stop it. It'll just feel meaningless right now._ She struggles to look through the large crowd which has gathered to watch the scene.

However, she was not expecting what she saw.

A gasp escapes her lips at the sight of the monster which had attacked her earlier that day. _Why's that guy here?!_ Her breath hitches at the revelation. _Did it get away from All Might?!_

Her mind races as she tries to dive into her memories of moments ago. _Did he drop it?!_

 _If he did…_ Sweat builds as she realizes quickly. "... then it's my fault…"

"Why aren't the heroes doing anything?" Someone from the crowd asks.

"They can't." The man next to him answers. "Apparently the villain caught a junior high schooler." Izuku jolts at the information and strains her ears to hear more. "It's been like that for a while."

At the details, Izuku gasps and turns her attention back to the scene. _Caught…? It's been like that for a while?_ A chill runs down her spine as she remembers the horrendous suffocating feeling of being taken over by the monster—it was as if she were drowning. _How can they bear that suffocation? I thought I'd die after a few seconds._ With dilated eyes, Midoriya covers her mouth in order to silence herself as she watches. _Wow…_

"Anyway, wasn't that villain the one All Might was chasing earlier?" Izuku jolts at the question coming from the crowd. _Oh no—!_

"All Might? No way! He's here?"

"I think I saw him earlier."

"Seriously?!"

"Then what's All Might doing?!"

Izuku lowers her head as she furrows her eyebrows, trembling. _It's my fault…!_

 _He can't do anything!_ Images of All Might's broken body flashes in her mind.

 _He can't catch that guy!_

 _All we can do is wait for a hero with a more suitable Quirk!_

Izuku wishes she could crawl into a hole at that moment. _Do your best! I'm sorry!_

 _I'm so sorry!_ Izuku looks up, tears brimming her eyes as she watches the other teen struggle in the grasps of the monstrous villain.

 _Help will arrive soon…_

 _Someone… A hero… will soon…_

Izuku's eyes dilate as she watches the other teen struggle out of the villain's grasp a bit more—revealing familiar features of blonde spiky hair and red eyes. _Kacchan!_ Those red eyes glance over to the heroes, the crowd, to _Izuku_ —as if they were asking for help.

Immediately, Izuku drops her notebook, which she had held tightly in her hands the whole time, only to be thrown aside as she charges forward. Recklessly, she cuts through the crowd, the police, and the heroes with her arms flailing as she makes her mad dash forwards towards the villain.

Red eyes dilate as their vision focuses on the hastily approaching green-haired girl. Katsuki's voice comes out muffled and in shock as fear builds in his system at the sight. _Stop_ "—Deku…"

 _Why did I run out?_

 _What am I doing?_

 _Why?!_

Despite the thoughts which ran through her mind and the shouting heroes behind her hollering for her to stop, Deku kept running forward through the flames and destruction.

The villain screeches at the running girl approaching. "Die in an explosion!"

However, with adrenaline pumping through her veins and a dull ringing in her ears, Izuku was unable to pick up on the sound. She could only focus on what was ahead of her. _What do I do? What do I do at a time like this?_

Suddenly, images come to her mind—her notebook, page 25.

 _Pre-emptive Binding Lacquered Chain Prison: Quickly stretch out arms (vines) to make the opponent flinch back, and then use that opening to restrain them._

On instinct, the green-haired girl grabs her overly large bag and throws it at the puke green sludge villain, hitting the villain's eyes. This causes the villain to flinch as shriek out in pain and it lets go of the contained blonde teen. Bakugo coughs as his mouth and nose are finally free from the villain's liquid.

"Kacchan!" Izuku screams as she hastily fumbles towards her childhood friend and grabs hold of the sludgy villain, only for her hands to slip on its liquid skin.

Katsuki, with enough room to breathe now, is only focused on the girl in front of him. _What are you doing?! Run, you idiot!_ He berates the stupid girl as he shouts, "Why are _you_ here?!"

Izuku continues to dig into the villain, hoping to dig her childhood friend out from its grasps. "My legs moved on their own!" She answers without a thought as she continues to dig, her jade eyes dilated in fear. "I don't know why, though!"

The villain begins restraining Katsuki once again, causing Izuku to desperately reach closer for the blonde.

Tears brim her big, emerald eyes, threatening to fall. "You looked like you were asking for help…"

The villain starts covering Katsuki's mouth and nose once again; however, Bakugo's mind was filled with the girl in front of him rather than the villain constraining him. "Stop it…!" _Don't—_

The villain revives, taking hold of the blonde teen once again and throws Izuku off it. It screeches, "Just a little longer… don't get in the way!"

Izuku's eyes widen as the villain's slimy arm raises in order to hit her and by reflex, she raises her arms to guard.

"I really am pathetic…" The lack of impact and the familiar voice causes Izuku to look beyond her makeshift guard and gasp at the sight.

All Might is in front of her, holding off the villain.

"All Might…" Izuku mutters out in shock.

"Even though I admonished you," All Might grasps the villain as he pulls its sludgy body off of the young boy inside. "I wasn't putting what I said into practice!

Izuku's eyes sparkle at the sight of All Might tearing the villain away from Katsuki.

Blood squirts out from All Might's mouth as he declares, "Pros are always risking their lives!" He grabs hold of the constrained teen's arms as he holds his right fist back, readying it.

"All Might!" The villain hollers out.

Bringing his fist back, All Might forces it into the liquidy villain as he shouts. "Detroit Smash!" The impact causes the slimy villain to be blown away from the blonde teen who is in All Might's grasps. The smash is so powerful that the wind kicks up into a mini tornado and causes rain to fall on the scene.

Both teens fall to the ground, unconscious, and All Might raises his fist as the crowd cheers for his success.

After the incident cleared up, the police had managed to gather the sludge villain's bits and safely locked him away. Meanwhile, reporters gathered at the scene to interview All Might.

As she had expected, Midoriya is scolded for her reckless behavior by the pro heroes while Bakugo is praised for his amazing quirk. However, Katsuki pays no mind to those praises. Instead, his mind races with thoughts of his stupid childhood friend's recklessness and glares at the apologetic girl who receives a lecture as in contrast to him.

He didn't like this.

He didn't like this _at all_.

Katsuki glares and frowns at the scene of the pros ridiculing Izuku, focusing on the green-haired girl which is his childhood friend.

Her words replay in his mind like a broken record. _"You looked like you were asking for help…"_

 _Don't look down on me… Deku…!_

It's sunset when the young green-haired girl walks home. Izuku sighs. _I wanted to apologize to All Might, but he was still getting interviewed… I'll try sending him a message on his website when I get home._

"Deku!" A shout of her name causes the green-haired girl to pause in her step. Responding to the familiar call, Izuku turns to find Katsuki running towards her.

"Kacchan…?" His name leaks out from her lips as she blinks.

The battered up blonde stops running when he is only a few meters away from her, pausing to catch his breath. Katsuki stares at Izuku for a moment as he does, noting how her green hair seemed to have a more orange tint due to the falling sun and how, with the sunset behind her, her eyes glow like emeralds on her shadowed face. Her earlier words replay in his mind. _"You looked like you were asking for help…"_

The blonde looks down, his hands shaking as he growls. "I never asked you for help!" Katsuki shouts, "And you didn't help me! Got it?!" He whips his head up to glare at the girl. "I was fine by myself! You're a Quirkless failure playing without a full deck! Don't think you can look down on me!"

In looking up, Katsuki catches sight of Izuku's blank yet surprised expression. The lack of reaction leaves a twisted disgusting feeling in his gut, however, he won't stop. "Are you trying to make me owe you?!" His eyebrows furrow further. "Don't look down on me!"

Katsuki grits his teeth as he hastily twirls around, hollering. "You damn nerd!" The blonde then begins stomping away, frustrated.

Izuku watches her childhood friend's receding back as he walks in the opposite direction of her, sweatdropping. The girl sighs at his antics as a small awkward smile returns to her face.

 _Kacchan is right—_

 _It's not like I accomplished anything or changed anything._

Izuku's eyes soften sadly as she lowers her head in defeat.

 _But, I'm glad._

The green-haired teen twirls back around and continues on her walk back home.

 _Now, I can think of a realistic future…—_

All of a sudden a large, yellow and white blur pops out from the side of the road, surprising a yelp out of Midoriya. "I am here!"

Izuku visibly jumps at the sudden appearance of her idol, flailing out. "A-All Might?!" She calms down after a moment, though her jade eyes are still dilated. "Why are you here? You were surrounded by reporters until just now…" She turns back to look in the direction she had come from in disbelief before returning her gaze back to the pro hero in front of her.

"Getting away from them was a piece of cake." All Might laughs triumphantly, "Why?" All Might starts motioning to flex his large muscles, "Because I am All Migh—" before abruptly deflating into his bony state and spurting out blood from his mouth, causing Midoriya to shriek in alarm.

After a couple of coughs and wiping his mouth, All Might recovers enough to speak once again. "Young girl." All Might addresses the green-haired girl before him. "I come with thanks, a correction, and a suggestion."

"Huh?" Midoriya blinks.

"If you hadn't been there… if you hadn't told me about your life…" All Might begins to explain. "I would've turned into a guy in a bodysuit who was all talk. Thank you."

Emerald eyes widen at this statement. "That can't be…" She defends her idol, "It was my fault in the first place!" She lowers her head as he eyes narrow with guilt as she starts turning her body away. "I got in the way of your work, and I said all those impertinent things even though I'm Quirkless…"

"That's right." All Might interrupts the girl's self-loathing speech. "It was because it was none other than the timid, Quirkless _you_ at the scene that I was able to act."

Izuku's breath hitches at the comment, causing the girl to turn back to face All Might with wide eyes.

"Top heroes have stories about them from their school days. Most of their stories have one thing in common:" All Might explains, catching Izuku's attention even more. "Their bodies moved before they had a chance to think."

Izuku's emerald eyes begin to sparkle at those words as cherry blossom petals fall with the slight breeze, fluttering through the sky. Her jade orbs become glassy as tears begin to brim the edges of them and Izuku lowers her head in order to hide the tears.

Suddenly, the voice of her mother's apologies echoes in her mind. _"I'm sorry, Izuku! I'm sorry. I'm sorry!"_

Izuku curls up more into herself as she can no longer hold back the tears. Her hand clenches the shirt around her chest—her heart.

 _No, that's not it—that's not it, Mom._

"That was true for you, too, wasn't it?"

Tears stream down her face as snot builds in her nose and threaten to burst out. Izuku can only cry out, a muffled, "Yes…!"

 _Back then, what I wanted you to say was—_

Losing strength in her knees, she falls to the ground.

 _The words I wanted you to say were—_

"You can become a hero."

Sobs escape her lips—Izuku cries out.

 _Dreams can become reality._

* * *

 **What do you think? What do you think?**

 **I know this is just the beginning so there isn't much to say... but, I hope you enjoyed it!**

 **Did I make Bakugo kind of mushy?**

 **He kind of showed that he cared for Izuku... but I'm not sure if I showed that he cares too much... (Hopefully, I didn't)**

 **Anyways, I hope you enjoyed the chapter!**

 **Next up is training and the Entrance Exam!**


	2. UA Entrance Exam

**Holy shit! This is 6.4 k long! This is most probably the longest I've written a chapter for!**

 **Anyways, I'm really stressed at the moment so I'm kind of exploding my inspiration into this fic! (Cause I have lots of fresh inspiration for it :3)**

 **This chapter has a lot more added in besides the canon content, though it still follows the canon events (just with a Deku sex change).**

 **Again, if you have any ideas you would want to see, please comment!~**

 **Hope you all enjoy the chapter!~**

* * *

A large royal blue arch with the golden logo of a capital 'A' inside a capital 'U' stands tall in front of the young green-haired girl. Beyond the gates is a glass building with two tall towers and a middle connecting section and more to the structure beyond the front.

Honestly, if you had asked her 10 months ago whether or not she would really be here—her answer would have most likely been no.

However, after the Sludge Incident and the encouraging words of All Might, Izuku's whole life took a spin for the better.

"You are worthy to inherit my power." All Might had declared to Izuku on that Spring day 10 months ago.

After the declaration, All Might had divulged Izuku in the secret of his quirk— One For All. He then had given her a choice—to inherit One For All or to not.

Of course, she had instantly agreed. For one, the All Might had asked her to do it; and two, he had shared his super secret which the public has no clue about. There was no way she could refuse after he had encouraged her as well.

Now, after those 10 months of training hell under All Might's super special Aim to Pass: American Dream Plan , Izuku can walk through the blue gate with an actual quirk—not that she had the chance to actually try it out.

In truth, Izuku was worried about it. She had swallowed All Might's hair as he had told her to, so she should have received his power like he said. However, doubt still swam in her mind.

Do I really have any powers? Do I really have a quirk? These insecurities made her freeze after walking only a foot onto campus. Izuku pales as she covers her mouth in remembering the whole transfer process. Did I really get powers..?

"Outta my way, Deku." A gruff voice snaps Izuku from her trance.

Quickly spinning around, Izuku is met with the sight of her childhood friend, Bakugo Katsuki. "Kacchan!"

"Don't stand in front of me." The blonde snarls. "I'll kill you."

This aggression causes Izuku's body to react, awkwardly jumping back and flailing her arms. "M-Morning. L-Let's both do our best…" She trails off as Katsuki passes by her without any further intimidation. Izuku freezes wide-eyed for a moment at the lack of aggression towards her.

She snaps out of it in a second to twirl around and watch Katsuki's back as he walks towards the school. She can hear murmurs from the other students, pointing out her childhood friend and mentioning the Sludge Incident. However, the gossip only goes through one ear and out the other as Izuku focuses on the blonde.

Ever since that day, Kacchan hasn't done anything to me. Izuku lets her body slump forward as she releases the breath she didn't realize she was holding. I was just scared of him out of habit… Izuku's shoulder-length green curls flutter as she shakes her head rapidly, ridding herself of those thoughts. No, no, no! I'm different from before!

Determined, Izuku draws her attention to the building before her and steels her nerves, though her legs are still shaking. Remember these past 10 months!

Take the first step… Izuku forces her shaky foot forward. ...to being a hero!

She moves her other foot in order to continue. However, as nervous as Midoriya is, she hits her foot against her other foot, tripping herself. Realizing all too well, what is happening but with no means of a break, Izuku prepares herself for impact. This is it…!

The impact did not happen though. Instead, it takes the green-haired girl a second to realize that she is floating in the air.

"Are you alright?" A sweet voice calls from her left, snapping Midoriya from her daze.

This causes the green-haired girl to panic, letting out a wail as she flails in above the ground for a moment. However, deeming herself safe from falling after a few seconds of flailing, Midoriya turns to where the voice came from and is met with a cute girl with short chocolate brown hair who helps her back on her feet.

The girl claps her hand as she explains. "It's my Quirk. Sorry for using it without asking first." The brunette smiles, "But it'd be bad luck if you fell, right?"

Midoriya only stares at the girl in shock, unsure how to respond. It has been a while since anyone—not to mention another girl—was kind to her. So the experience felt a bit mystifying to the green-haired teen.

"Aren't you nervous?" The brunette sighs.

Midoriya jolts and awkwardly searches for a response, feeling her cheeks flush in embarrassment over her lack of words. "Uh... Ah—" What am I supposed to do in a situation like this?! Agree?! Should I agree?! "—uhh… Umm…!"

"Let's do our best." The brunette girl smiles and waves. "See ya!"

Izuku stands there, emerald eyes dilated, as she watches the other girl leave her behind.

I talked to a girl (without her bullying me)! Midoriya Izuku's eyes sparkle at the experience.

Midoriya shakes her head, slapping her hands on her cheeks to snap herself out of it. No, no! Calm down, Izuku! Of course, she wouldn't bully you, she doesn't know you!

The thought then leads to a revelation. That means… no one other than Kacchan knows I was Quirkless…!

I can have a normal high school life! The realization causes Midoriya to sparkle and her lips twist into an awkward smile as she marches forward, her hand tightening around her backpack straps. With new determination, Midoriya brings her focus to the building ahead of her.

I need to pass the tests first and get into U.A., then!

Izuku takes a bit to enter the lecture hall where all the examinees were and it takes her a few minutes before she is able to find her designated seat. Spotting the familiarly explosive blonde hair amongst her row made the green-haired girl nervous, even more so when she got to her seat and realized Katsuki was her neighbor.

Timidly, Izuku sits down next to the aloof blonde, who gives her a glance and an immediate glare. A small growl rolls through his throat, causing Izuku to jump at the sound. However, determined Izuku tries to smooth out the atmosphere with a nervous laugh.

This only causes Bakugo to give her a stink eye before clicking his tongue. Izuku didn't have much time to let the account soak in as the lights throughout the hall dim and the spotlight shines on the podium.

"For all you examinee listeners tuning in, welcome to my show today!" A tall and slender man with crazy long blonde hair spiked up in the back and a small mustache wearing sunglasses announces. "Everybody say 'hey'!" Despite his efforts in rallying up the crowd of examinees, he is only met with a stagnant silence. "What a refined response." The blonde jokes as he shrugs. "Then I'll quickly present to you the rundown on the practical exam! Are you ready?" He addresses the crowd again and shouts out, "Yeah!"

"It's the Voice Hero, Present Mic !" Izuku brings her hand in front of her face to cover her smile as her peridot eyes twinkle and her whole aura sparkles with amazement. "Wow…!" She mutters out under her breath, "I listen to him every week on the radio. I'm so moved!" Izuku can't keep her excitement down, it only keeps rising at the thought. "All the teacher at U.A. are pro heroes!"

"Shut up." Katsuki quickly chastises her gruffly. He was used to the stupid girl's constant muttering but now was not the time for her annoying fangirling.

"As it says in the application requirements," Present Mic begins to explain. "You listeners will be conducting ten-minute mock urban battles after this! You can bring whatever you want with you." As Present Mic elaborates, the big screen behind him shows a map of where to go. "After the presentation, you'll head to the specified battle center, okay?" Once again, he is met with silence, as students take a look at their cards. "Okay?!"

Each student had received an exam ticket upon turning in their application. The card contains their personal information and their examinee number along with the letter of the battle center they must go to for the practical.

Izuku stares at her card, confirming her location. I'm in B!

An abrupt analysis from Katsuki causes Izuku to jump and focus her attention on the blonde, "In other words, they won't let you work with your friends, huh?" Izuku catches Katsuki's crimson eyes staring at her card, so she follows suit and glances at his. Kacchan's in A…!

"Y-you're right. Even though our examinee numbers are consecutive, we're assigned to different battle centers." Izuku adds.

"Don't look." Bakugo glares at Izuku's curious emerald eyes, "I'll kill you."

The green-haired girl's breath hitches as she cowers away from the blonde.

Katsuki clicks his tongue. "Damn, now I can't crush you."

Izuku's lips awkwardly tremble in a makeshift smile, though her eyes betray her fear. I'm lucky U.A.'s system is like this…!

Present Mic continues to explain about the practical. "Three different types of faux villains are stationed in each battle center. You earn points for each of them based on their level of difficulty. Your goal, dear listeners, is to use your quirk to earn points by immobilizing the faux villains. Of course, attacking other examinees and any other unheroic actions are prohibited!"

Suddenly, a hand is raised from a boy who sits two rows in front of Izuku and Katsuki as a loud voice calls out. "May I ask a question?"

"Okay!" Present Mic points to the boy, allowing him to raise his inquiry.

Light shines down on the boy as he rises from his seat, holding up a piece of paper and points to it. "On the printout, there are four types of villains." The boy's voice is strong, loud and clear as he exclaims. "If that is a misprint, then U.A., the most prominent school in Japan, should be ashamed of that foolish mistake." The boy puts down the paper, holding a hand to his chest. "We examinees are here in this place because we wish to be molded into exemplary heroes." The boy then turns around and points a finger in Izuku's direction. "In addition, you over there with the curly hair—"

"Eh?" Izuku points to herself in shock.

"You've been muttering this whole time—It's distracting!" The glasses boy glares at Izuku, "If you're here on a pleasure trip, then you should leave immediately!"

Covering her mouth, Izuku cowers in her seat, whispering. "I'm sorry…"

Hearing the snickers all around her makes Izuku just want to disappear. It was as if she were in class again—being called out by her classmates, by Katsuki, on her quirklessness once again.

Everyone was laughing at her .

Bakugo's watchful eye glances at the girl beside him. Izuku was curling up into herself, just as she usually does when she is met with ridicule. Heh. Once a Deku, always a Deku. Katsuki's crimson orbs focus on the standing teen with glasses, glaring at the boy. It's not like he minded that others pointed out Deku's uselessness but something about it all twisted a nerve in Katsuki's gut. He ignores the uncomfortable feeling though as Present Mic jumps in.

"Okay, okay, Examinee Number 7111." Present Mic motions for the boy to settle down. "Thanks for the great message." As the blonde declares this, another image pops up on the screen. "The fourth type of villain is worth zero points. That guy's an obstacle, so to speak. There's one in every battle center—an obstacle that will go crazy in narrow spaces. It's not impossible to defeat, but there's no reason to defeat it, either. I recommend that you listeners try to avoid it."

The glasses-clad boy, Examinee No. 7111, bows a full 90 degrees as he shouts. "Thank you very much! Please excuse the interruption!"

"That's all from me!" Present Mic starts closing up the announcement. "Finally, I'll give you listeners a present—our school motto! The hero Napoleon Bonaparte once said: 'A true hero is someone who overcomes life's misfortunes.'" The blonde man continues with a wicked smirk, "Go beyond." Present Mic then raises his arms in the air and shouts, "Plus Ultra!"

Izuku can't help the smile forming on her face as her jade eyes sparkle with excitement.

Present Mic gives his closing. "Now, everyone, good luck suffering!"

After taking a moment to change into exercise appropriate clothes, all the examinees file onto their designated bus. Each student is tense in anticipation, excitement, and nervousness. Izuku steels herself once again as she exits the bus and stands behind the crowd of other examinees and stares at the giant gate leading to Battle Center B. I-it's time to do it.

It's time to give everything I got from my training with All Might these past ten months. Izuku trembles as she stares at the gate with dilated eyes and a crooked smile. I will become— Shaking, she brings her hands up. —the hero I always dreamed of being! Izuku slaps her cheeks in an effort to calm herself down. However, she is unable to.

The green-haired girl gulps. "Mock… battles…" Izuku mutters out before scanning the crowd in front of her. How can everyone be so confident? Aren't they nervous? Spotting a couple of students wearing gear besides the regular exercise clothes, Midoriya gasps in amazement. They even have equipment to go with their Quirks…

From the crowd, Izuku spots the brunette girl from the school gates. Oh! It's the person I met at the school gates! The nice person! She was assigned to the same battle center, huh?

Oh yeah, I have to thank her for earlier. Nerve-wrecked, Midoriya walks forward, rigidly. Her body is absolutely tense as she strides towards the brunette.

Abruptly, a hand landing on her shoulder causes Izuku to stop and turn around. "Huh?" However, when she spots the glasses boy from the lecture hall, she jolts and pales in response. He's here, too?!

The glasses boy looks up in the direction Izuku was heading in, spotting the brunette she was going to approach. "That girl appears to be trying to focus." He then looks back at Izuku. "What are you doing here? Are you taking the entrance exam to interfere with everyone else?"

Izuku pales at the accusation and hastily tries to prove her innocence, her arms flailing in the air. "N-N-No, of course not…!"

"That guy's the one who was about to trip in front of the school gates, right?" Izuku freezes as she hears the familiar mocking tone.

"The one who winced after being called out." Another examinee laughs. Izuku's bites her lips as her eyes fall to the floor and her hands fall to her side.

Another joins in to comment. "At the very least, we have one less rival to worry about, huh?"

Izuku, at that moment, wished she could just find a hole and jump in it. She could hear it, the snickers and the playful tones—she thought she had escaped it, but it seems to follow her everywhere she goes. I guess I really can't escape be No Good, Useless Deku… huh… Her eyes narrow sadly as she avoids looking at the other examinees, preferring to look at the ground.

"Okay, start!" The voice of Present Mic draws everyone's attention to him. "What's wrong?! There are no countdowns in real fights!" The blonde man waves his arm, rolling it as he hollers. "Run, run! The die has been cast, you know!"

"Huh? Huh?" Izuku blinks and turns to the side only to see that the examinees have left and are cramming towards the entrance. "Huh?!" Izuku gulps. "I—I'm behind already!" She sprints off after the rest of the group.

I'm behind!

Calm down, calm down. It's fine. It's fine! Izuku continues to dash as fast as she can in order to catch up to the group. I have All Might with me.

The words of All Might's quick lecture flows through Izuku's mind in her moment of haste.

"When you use my Quirk, One For All, squeeze your buttocks and yell this inside your heart—"

"S—"

The green-haired girl is unable to finish her thought as all of a sudden the building in front of her breaks and a green robot bursts through it. Izuku instantly puts on the break and recognizes the robot. One Point!

The robot's head moves up and the red camera zooms in on the curly-haired girl. "Target acquired." Then, its wheels start whirling as it speedily approaches her. "I'll kill you!"

It's coming! Izuku's body is shaking uncontrollably as she watches the hasty approach of the robot. It's coming! It's coming! The green-haired girl tries to move but her legs are locked by fear. Why can't I move?!

The robot's camera eye shine bright red as it raises its mechanical arm, ready to attack the girl.

Idiot, why?! Izuku berates herself as the robot begins to swing. On reflex, Izuku shuts her eyes and readies for impact, but it fails to hit. Instead, she hears a quick, high-pitched screech of a laser. Forcing her eyes open to see what had happened, Izuku finds the robot in shambles, destroyed by a laser.

"Thanks for distracting it!~" A foreign voice causes Midoriya to turn her attention to the blonde haired boy whose hands are behind his head as he points his belt forward, the leftover bits of light is still visible near it.

A laser?

"Merci! We made a good team." The blonde haired boy with sparkly eyes and long eyelashes comments. "But, I don't think we'll meet again." He motions with a wink before rushing off "Adieu~"

Izuku blinks, a bit disturbed by the display, but currently focuses on the boy's words rather than his actions. We won't meet again…?

Suddenly, the announcer declares, "Six minutes and two seconds left!"

"What?!" Izuku panics at the announcement before hastily looking around. It seems most of the robots have already been taken care off and with the street the mess it is, there's no telling how many were left.

Oh no! Oh no! The green-haired girl begins taking off on her mad dash. Oh no!

Points…! Izuku scrambles, scanning the area for any leftover robots. However, everywhere she looks there are only robot bits lying around and no active enemies in sight. I need points, fast…!

After coming out of an alley, Midoriya is met with the sight of a group of robots already defeated with some examinees resting on them. She pays no mind to them and instead continues to examine the area, hoping that there was at least one robot left. However, who she spots was actually the brunette girl from the gate. The nice person!

The brunette rushes around the remaining robots, touching them and causing them to float. Izuku stares in awe as the girl releases her hold over them, causing the robots to crash to the ground and break on impact. The brunette pants as she tries to catch her breath. "That's 28 points…!"

What?! 28? Izuku stares in awe.

Then on the other side, there is the glasses guy who dashes forward with what looks like an engine quirk in his calves. The boy uses his strength and engine to kick a robot to destroy it. "45 points!"

Izuku is bewildered. 45?!

Izuku hadn't realized the chaos this test was. The number of enemies is decreasing rapidly! Realizing how bad the situation was for her, Izuku sprints off once more. This is bad!

All of a sudden, there is a huge explosion as the ground shakes and trembles. A shadow peers over Izuku, causing the girl to look up at the culprit. Her emerald eyes widen in shock at the gargantuan size of the robot approaching.

Present Mic's Warning comes to mind at the sight of the robot. "An obstacle that will go crazy in narrow spaces. I recommend that you listeners try to avoid it."

Midoriya trembles as her lips flap open and close like a fish and her teeth clattering. Isn't it a little too big?

The giant green robot rolls towards the group of examinees, raising its right fist as it aims for them before slamming it into the ground. The sheer impact of the punch causes dirt and debris to fly into the air, causing a sandstorm for the examinees.

Izuku blocks her face and shuts her eyes tight as she awaits the sandstorm to end. And when it does she can only stand and stare at the giant threat—her legs shaking uncontrollably.

Other examinees around her are running past her to get away from the giant robot monstrosity as Izuku falls to the ground, her eyes dilated and tears brimming her eyes with her mouth gaping wide.

"This isn't funny! I have to run away!" Izuku rolls onto her knees as she tries to crawl away from the gigantic threat. "I'll get points as I run…" Shoot, shoot, shoot—I'm still at zero points! Izuku flails as she tries to grasp the ground in order to run away.

"Less than two minutes left!" Present Mic announces.

"Only two minutes?!" Izuku shrieks.

Her mindsets in panic mode as her thoughts race through her consciousness. It'll be wasted. Everything All Might gave me—

Izuku forces herself to move forward even with tears in her eyes making her vision blurry.

—will be wasted!

"Ow!" A familiar voice brings Izuku's attention to behind her.

There she was, the brunette girl—the nice person—struggling under the debris. Her leg was caught under several pieces of the broken buildings which must weight tons. Izuku forces herself on her knees as her jade eyes dilate and she stares at the girl.

Izuku could hear the girl's kind words to her still. She could still see the smile the brunette gave her. "It'd be bad luck if you fell, right?"

The robot began to move again, its mechanical body creaking as it shifts, moving forward. It was heading towards the fallen brunette girl.

Without a second of hesitation, Izuku forces herself up and makes a mad sprint towards large robotic villain. After a moment of beginning to scale the street towards the giant metal monster, Izuku bends her legs, squeezing her butt together as she builds power in her legs.

Instinctively, Izuku releases her hold and allows herself to spring up into the air with great power and speed. The fallen brunette on the ground gasps as she watches.

Clenching her fist, Izuku draws her right arm back, preparing for a great swing. The teal cloth hiding her subtle muscle she had gain over the past 10 months tears from the build-up as Izuku's muscles bulge and grow. Her blood vessels gleam a brilliant red as if she were pumping some sort of magic through them, causing them to glow.

Izuku flies through the air, her bangs flinging away from her face and her curly green hair flowing in the wind as she approaches the robot.

All Might's words resound in her mind and heart.

"Squeeze your buttocks… and yell this inside your heart…"

Smash…!

Izuku punches her One For All powered fist at the giant robot's head. The impact leaves a circular mark in the robot's face and cracks around it before the whole structure of the robot's head collapses. This causes the robot to explode as it timbers backward.

The examinees on the floor all watch in awe with their mouths agape as the giant robot collapses.

The conditions are the same as when I tried to save Kacchan. But it's different, also. Izuku watches the robot collapse as she floats in the sky as if in slow motion. This time—

The robot falls on its back, smoke rising from it's split head and torso.

"Just one minute left!" Present Mic announces.

"Huh," Izuku gasps, still in midair, at the announcement. Then, all of a sudden she is falling—gravity finally taking its toll and dragging the poor green-haired girl back to earth. Izuku screams as she falls, knowing if she were to actually hit the ground, she would be dead.

Wait, this is All Might's power. I'm able to jump this high now! Landing should be a piece of cake —

It was then that she realized both of her legs were broken and her right arm was as well. All they were doing was flailing in the wind as she was falling.

All Might's warning echoes in her mind.

"You have become a proper vessel, but it was one that was made in a hurry. Prepare yourself for the physical repercussion it'll have on your body."

Izuku clenches her teeth as tears float out her eyes. Oh yeah! I'm such an idiot!

A mere ten months was just barely enough time.

I can just barely hold this borrowed power.

I was being conceited for a second!

I've only been given the right to stand at the start line!

Izuku grabs her flailing arm as to not let it flail any longer under the heavy wind pressure as she glares down at the ground. Think! What do I do?! What do I do?!

Detroit Smash!

If I aim that move on the ground…!

Both my legs and right arm are broken. I only have my left arm!

And the timing…! If I'm too early or too late, I'll die!

Even if I succeed I still won't have any points!

If I break my left arm, there's no way I'll pass!

Izuku, at that moment, released her clenched teeth, letting her mouth open wide as a loud scream is released from inside. She draws forth her left arm as she prepares for the perfect timing. It's now or never—

Slap!

All of a sudden, as Midoriya was falling, she felt a hand connect with her cheek, slapping her loudly. Her jade eyes are dilated from shock as she stares at the ground below her, her body barely floating over it.

A pained grunt comes from Izuku's savior—the brunette girl—as she struggles to control her powers in order to rescue the other girl. "Release…!"

With that word, Izuku collapses to the ground, given a much softer landing than her original one would have been. The brunette herself also lands the green robot piece she was using to float on, clenching a hand over her mouth as if to prevent herself from hurling. It was no use in the end though as she emptied her stomach a moment later on the ground before her.

Izuku clenches her broken right arm. I'm safe…! She tries to lift her head, but it is very painful given her several broken limbs. No—I was saved by her…!

Examining the brunette girl from her position, quickly, Izuku tries to ascertain her condition. Is she alright? Not seeing any visible injuries, Izuku sighs in relief. She looks uninjured, at least…? I'm so glad…!

Moving on from those thoughts, Izuku slams her only usable limb left—her left hand on the ground before fisting it. And… thank you.

Desperate, Midoriya tries to move forward, using her left hand to crawl against the cement floor. Even if it was painful, she couldn't feel much more due to the injuries numbing her with pain and the adrenaline pumping through her veins. "If I can just get one point…!"

"Time's up!" sirens alarm the examinees that the time is up and that the exam is over.

Izuku freezes at the sound, tears, and snot running down her face with her eyes wide and dilated. She gasps out a hoarse wheeze before falling unconscious.

The examinees of Battle Center B all gather around the broken green-haired girl on the ground.

"What was that girl?"

"She suddenly jumped at the obstacle."

"She seemed to have a reinforcement-type Quirk, but that was unusual…"

"But if she had such an amazing Quirk, what kind of life did she live that made her so jumpy?"

"Maybe she was acting to trick others?"

"But it doesn't look like she gained anything from doing so."

"Anyway, there's no mistaking that she's an amazing guy."

They're missing the point. Iida Tenya clenches his teeth. Didn't they see?

The bluenette glances at the brunette girl laying on the green robot debris. She jumped out to save that girl. He then turns his attention back to the green-haired girl, laying on the ground with 3 broken limbs. She was are of the remaining time, her own safety, and the points she needed to pass…

And, even so, she did not hesitate at all!

Tenya clenches his fist as he remembers the sight of the girl, flying through the sky. He grits his teeth as he remembers how he had run past her in her time of own time of need—the horribly frightened expression on her face as tears welled up in her eyes.

If we had not been in an exam… Tenya bites his lips as he declares in his mind as if trying to convince himself.

—Of course, I would have done the same!

The glasses-clad bluenette stops and puzzles at his own thoughts. Wait. "Exam"...? "Of course"...? Iida raises a hand to his chin as his mind works. Wait a minute.

"Okay, good work." The shrill voice of Recovery Girl snaps Iida from his contemplation as the old woman approaches the examinees. "Good work, good work." The healing hero hands out candies to the less injured examinees. "Her you go. Here are some gummies. Eat some gummies."

The examinees receiving the sweets thank the older woman graciously.

"Yes, yes, you too!" Recover Girl approaches another examinee who thanks her in return.

Recovery Girl gradually approaches the fallen green-haired girl, noting out loud, "Oh dear, you were hurt this much by your own Quirk?" It's as if her body is not used to her Quirk yet. The woman stares for another second before puckering her lips and kissing the top of the green-haired girl's head.

In just mere seconds, Midoriya's broken limbs begin to glow as the horrible red bruising begins to fade and her arms and legs begin to reform back to their natural shape.

"Let's finish this quickly." The old woman inquires. "Is anyone else hurt?"

Iida blinks for a moment before a revelation hits him. I see! If this exam is set up like that… He then narrows his eyes at the unconscious Midoriya. Then she's…

It takes about one week for the results of the U.A. entrance exam to be sent out.

However, Midoriya Izuku is in a state of depression rather than nervousness. Even after one week, Izuku can't get over the fact that she wouldn't make it into U.A.—that she hasn't been able to contact All Might.

Ever since the entrance exam, Izuku has not been able to get ahold of All Might.

Izuku sighs, her depressing thoughts ridding her of any mood beyond disappointment and sadness. Unconsciously, she continues to exercise her grip, squeezing her hand around the tool nonchalantly as she nuzzles her cell phone with her thumb.

Unable to stand the dreary mood her daughter has been in for the past week once again, Midoriya Inko tries to start a conversation. "The results should arrive today or tomorrow, right?"

"Yeah…" However, the subject only causes Izuku's mood to deteriorate even more, causing the girl to sigh and sink into the purple couch.

"Geez, I think it's amazing that you even applied to U.A.!" Izuku's mother frets, as she tries to lighten the mood.

This, once again, didn't help much. So Inko decides that she should leave her daughter alone.

Izuku had not told her mother about what had happened with All Might.

She kept that secret so he could continue being the Symbol of Peace.

There was no way she could tell anyone, not even her own family.

So her mother did not even know that now her Quirkless daughter actually has a Quirk.

With a sigh, Izuku sits up and places her phone on the coffee table in front of her. She then reaches down and grabs the dumbbell she left on the carpet and began performing arm curls.

All Might —after you saw potential in me, I'm sorry I didn't live up to them! But, I did what I thought was right.

All Might, you…

A sudden clatter catches the curly-haired girl's attention as she turns to find her mother flailing on the ground, stuttering her name. "Izu-Izu-Izu…! Izu-Izu-Izu… Izuku!" In her panic, Inko holds out the white letter with the red U.A. seal on it. "It's here! It came!"

Izuku stares blankly at the letter, her emerald eyes dilated and dark before she takes the letter with a quiet thanks and locks herself in her room.

Izuku stares at the letter in disbelief and skepticism as it lays on her desk. She breathes in deeply before exhaling and strengthens her nerves as she dives into the letter, ripping it open unceremoniously.

After all, why would she need to treat it nicely—it was a rejection letter after all.

Her rough opening, however, only causes the contents to fly out onto her desk: a letter and a circular disk. After clattering on her desk, the disk spontaneously lights up.

"I am here as a projection!"

The sudden holographic projection of All Might startles Izuku, who jumps at the sudden close up of the No. 1 Hero. "All Might?!" Her eyes are dilated as she looks from the letter to the projection and back and forth. "This is from U.A. right…? Ehh?!"

All Might continues to explain. "I had to do some paperwork that took some time, so I couldn't contact you." All Might coughs before bowing. "I'm sorry. Actually, I came to this town to work at U.A.!"

"Eh?! All Might is working at U.A.?" Izuku gasps.

All Might's projection nods. "Hmm? What is it? Wrap it up? But there is something I must talk to her about…" All Might talks to the staff on the side. "It's going to push everything else back?" All Might shrugs. "Oh, all right. Okay."

Izuku pauses and gulps, her full attention on the muscular blonde man on screen.

"Even if you passed the written exam, you got zero points on the practical exam. Of course, that means you didn't pass."

I knew that. Izuku lowers her head as she stretches her lips in an effort to stop the tears. I knew that… The young teen's shoulders began to shake as tears brim her eyes. I knew that, but… She clenches the hands around her knees as she holds back the tears.

...it's so frustrating…

"If that was all there was to it, that is." All Might's voice overlaps Izuku's thoughts, snapping her attention back to the video.

Izuku lifts her head to gaze at the projection of All Might.

"I am an entertainer, as well!" All Might then twirls to the television screen to his right. "First, take a look at this video!"

With a click of a button, the screen flashes to a new scene—a classroom, perhaps. Then, a familiar brunette appears on screen, entering the room. "Excuse me, um…"

Izuku blinks her jade eyes in confusion. "The nice person?"

All Might explains, "She came to negotiate directly in person after the exam!"

Izuku gasps.

"Negotiate what? Keep watching to find out!" All Might eggs on before continuing the video.

The brunette girl is speaking to Present Mic, it seems as she describes Izuku's features to the pro hero. "Um, the girl with curly hair and freckles… Do you know who I'm talking about?"

Izuku leans back in her chair and gapes. It's me!

"Is it possible for me to give her some of my points?"

Izuku gasps at the request.

"I heard her say, 'If I can just get one point,' so I thought maybe she was still at zero points…"

All of a sudden, Katsuki's voice floods her ears as his words stab at her heart again. "What the hell can you do?"

"At least the points she lost because of me…"

Izuku clenches her fist as she hears the pro heroes lecture her. "There was absolutely no reason for you to put yourself in danger!"

The brunette declares. "That person saved me!"

Izuku's breath hitches as her peridot eyes twinkle.

"Please! Please! Please!"

Izuku stands up from her seat, letting the chair slide away from her as All Might pauses the video once again.

"In addition to now having a quirk, your actions purred others to act."

A smile lifts on Izuku's lips as her eyes soften. At least, I was able to save someone, if anything.

"The entrance exam the other day was not graded only on villain points!" All Might reveals as he presses the video to play once again.

This time Present Mic is the one to speak. "Even if you ask to, you cannot give her your points." The blonde then pats the brunette's head. "Anyway, there's no reason to give her any, female listener!"

All Might steps in front of the video, blocking the view as he speaks. "How can a hero course reject people who save others and do the right thing? Call that lip service? Bring it on! This is a job that requires risking one's life to put that lip service into practice!"

Izuku's jade eyes widen as the words are coming together.

"Rescue Points!" All Might announces, "And they're given by a panel of judges! It's the other basic ability we at U.A. look at!"

A scoreboard is shown with her name in 7th place. Izuku's mouth and eyes are wide open in disbelief.

"Midoriya Izuku, 60 points!"

The video then shows the brunette girl, standing in awe as her own points and name is announced. "And Uraraka Ochako, 45 points!"

"You both pass."

Eye filled with tears, lips puckered and trembling as all the emotions burst out, Izuku mutters. "This is too crazy…!"

All Might's projection extends a hand towards Izuku. "Come, Young Midoriya."

"This is your hero academy!"

Unable to hold back the tears, Izuku allows them to fall as she answers. "Yes, sir!"

After receiving a lot of help, Midoriya Izuku's life had changed and will continue to change.

And, now, her dream high school life is about to begin.

* * *

 **How was it?!**

 **Did you enjoy the chapter?**

 **Was Izuku portrayed okay?**

 **It isn't very original just yet, but please have patience! This is only the beginning, after all!**

 **ANYWAYS, if you have any ideas you would want to see, please comment!~**


	3. Quirk Apprehension Test

**Ahh! So much inspiration for this series!~**

 **I'm sorry to say but at the moment I'm just trying to get by the basics (as fast as possible) and dive into the good stuff! XD**

 **This is getting closer to the 'good stuff' so don't worry!~**

 **I hope you enjoy the chapter!**

* * *

"Izuku! Do you have your tissues?" An older green-haired woman inquires the younger more curly-haired girl who is currently tying her shoes.

"Yeah," Izuku responds with a nod as she finishes tying one shoe and moves on to the other.

"And your handkerchief? What about your handkerchief?" Her mother frets, "Your hanky?!"

"I have it! I'm going to be late." Izuku replies as she stands, having finished tying her shoes, and grabs her large yellow backpack before heading to the door. "I have to hurry!"

Just as the green-haired high school girl's hand reaches for the doorknob, her mother calls out. "Izuku!"

"What is it?!" Izuku snaps as she turns around to face her mother.

Pausing, Midoriya Inko's jade eyes soften at the sight of her girl. Izuku has grown out her hair since her junior high days, now having it at shoulder length, though the natural curls and thickness of her hair causes it to have more of a messy look, so Izuku had tied it up into a small ponytail. The teenage girl was now taller than her and her skinny and fit form fits into her uniform just perfectly. She wears a white colored shirt with the red tie laying on her growing breasts and her gray blazer sticks to her figure without giving away how muscular she has become over the past few months. "You're really beautiful…!"

Izuku gasps as her cheeks flush rosy pink. Her lips rise into a big smile. "I'm off!"

That was the beginning of Midoriya Izuku's high school career.

"Class 1-A… 1-A…" Her hands gripping the yellow straps of her large backpack, Izuku jogs through the halls of U.A. in search of her classroom for the next year. Her fluffy green ponytail would bob up and down with every step as she looks up and around the hall, scanning for any sign of her classroom. "This place is too big…" Having spotted a sign noting '1-A', Izuku brightens. "Oh! There it is!"

Izuku stops in front of the humongous door and takes a moment to gape at the entrance. _The door is huge…!_ The large door in from of her also '1-A' written on it, though vertically and by estimation, Izuku supposes its about as tall as four of her standing on top of each other. _Is it for accessibility…?_

A restless urge surfaces within the girl, causing Izuku to tighten her grasps on her backpack straps as her mouth twists and her eyebrows furrow with nervousness. "The elite chosen from the huge number at the exam…" Evil depictions of Katsuki's face and the glasses-clad bluenette from the brunette float into Izuku's mind, leading her eye to twitch with unease. Quickly realizing her thoughts, Izuku snaps herself out of it and shakes her head rapidly in order to rid the images from her mind.

Midoriya slides the door open with a foreboding thought. _I hope I'm not in the same class as the scary people—_

"Don't put your feet on the desk!"

A familiar, formal voice hits Izuku's ears first. Then, the sight of the glasses-clad bluenette lecturing a familiar spiky-haired blonde who has hits feet propped on his desk comes next.

"Huh?!" Katsuki sneers.

The uptight boy continues, pointing to the desk as he makes an effort to lecture the blonde teen. "Don't you think that's rude to the U.A. upperclassmen and the people who made the desk?!"

"Nope! I don't!" Katsuki smirks as he replies rudely. "What junior high did you go to, you side character?"

Izuku immediately hides behind the door at the sight of the two, her face paling. _The top two?_

The straight-laced boy is startled for a moment before he gathers his composure and introduces himself. "I attended Somei Private Academy. My name is Iida Tenya."

"Somei?" Katsuki snarks, "So you're a damn elite, huh?" The blonde then smirks as he leans forward towards Iida. "Looks like I'll have fun crushing you."

" _Crushing?_ " Outright startled, Iida reflexively moves back with a gasp. "That's cruel. Do you truly aim to be a hero?!"

"Keh." The blonde clicks his tongue before returning to lean back in his seat. However, as he was doing so, his crimson orbs catches sight of familiar dark green curls. This leads Katsuki to focus on Izuku who is hiding by the door. "Huh?"

This reaction, in turn, draws Iida's attention to the door as well, having him catch sight of the cowering green-haired girl behind it. "Hm?" Iida stands straight, "You're…!"

These reaction combined prompts the rest of the class to turn to the green-haired girl, who had just come out of hiding after realizing she was caught. Izuku jolts as all eyes fall on her. Cold sweat builds on her neck as she quickly averts her eyes away from the rest, her cheeks heating up in embarrassment. "Oh, um…" Izuku panics as she tries to grab hold of something—anything to say.

There was no need to though, as Iida approaches her with a greeting. "Good morning!"

 _Huh?!_

Izuku is startled by the straightforward greeting and the robotically approaching bluenette. "I am from Somei Private Academy. My name is—"

"—I heard!" Hastily, Midoriya raises her hands in an effort to stop the other teen in his tracks. The sudden statement causes Iida to freeze in his step and Izuku slumps a bit in relief for the other boy had stopped and awkwardness as she wasn't sure what exactly she should do. "Ahh—I'm Midoriya. Nice to meet you, Iida."

Iida places his arms to his sides before he begins speaking. "Midoriya-kun, you realized there was something more to that practical exam, didn't you?"

"Eh?" Midoriya blinks.

"I had no idea…" As if pained, Iida squeezes his eyes, his eyebrows furrowed. "I misjudged you!" His face contorts, exhibiting how frustrated he is, though Midoriya isn't quite sure whether it's over having to apologize to her or for his own actions. "I hate to admit it, but you are better than me."

Sweat dropping, Midoriya awkwardly smiles. _I'm sorry—I had no idea._

"Ah! That curly hair!" A familiar sweet voice rings from behind Izuku, causing the girl to turn around to meet the brunette girl behind her. "You're that girl from before!"

Midoriya's emerald orbs sparkle as she meets the short-haired brunette once again. _It's the nice person!_

"You passed, just like Present Mic said!" The peppy brunette smiles as she motions and speaks. "Of course, you did! Your punch was amazing!"

Izuku feels her cheeks flush from the compliment. It has been a long time since she has heard one from someone other than her mother, after all. "Oh, well, um… it was thanks to you going to speak…" She murmurs, flustered. "… with him directly that I, uh…!"

"Huh?" The brunette pauses midst jumping up and down to tilt her head. "How did you know about that?"

"Oh! Uh! That's because…!" Her face red, Midoriya flails in trying to explain.

Meanwhile, a watchful crimson eye focuses on the flustered girl with curly green hair. Katsuki stares silently, a frown on his face, as his childhood friend makes a fool of herself, cheerfully bantering with the other two classmates.

Katsuki's mind wanders to the incident just a month ago, back in middle school.

Katsuki and Izuku's homeroom teacher had called the two of them to the staff lounge. _"I can't believe we have two students from our school matriculating into U.A.!"_ The old man praised them, _"Especially you, Midoriya. It's a miracle!"_

Katsuki remembers how a blush spread on the green-haired girl's freckled cheeks, how she tensed under the praise with her big sparkly peridot eyes—how her lips spread thin in an effort to hide the smile she couldn't hide.

It pissed Katsuki off—all of it; everything about it. It just pissed him off.

Painfully, Izuku groaned as her back hits the hard, cold wall when the blonde shoved her into it. She released a startled yelp as he grabbed her by her shirt, raising her slightly to keep her on her feet. _"What dirty tricks did you use to get in, huh?!"_ Her jade eyes are dilated in fear as he shook her. _"'The first student from his school to go to U.A..' My future plans have already been torn to pieces."_ He screamed in her face. _"I told you to go somewhere else!"_

In his rage, Katsuki didn't initially notice the hand on his wrist; however, after a tight squeeze, strong enough to cause him to snap from his anger, he realized it was there and stared at the girl before him.

 _"_ _Kacchan…!"_ Izuku's voice came out with a tremble. Her hand shook as she gripped his wrist hard, alarming Katsuki. _"Someone told me…"_ Sirens in Katsuki's mindset off as he watched Izuku's face contort from her usual fearful one she had in regards to him into a determined, tear-brimmed one. _"'You can become a hero'… That it was because of my own effort… Tha-that's why…"_ Katsuki's crimson orbs dilated in shock as Izuku raised her voice, declaring. _"I-I'm going…!"_

 _How dare she defy me?_ Katsuki glares at Izuku once more before turning away to look out the window. _Something's definitely up._

"I wonder if today's just the entrance ceremony and orientation?" The brunette—Uraraka Ochako—motions her arms up and down, excited, as Izuku tries to hide her blush and shyness with her arms as she wasn't used to talking with another girl her age. "I wonder what our teacher's like? Aren't you nervous?"

"Go somewhere else if you want to play at being friends." A gruff voice startles the two girls, however, Izuku is the first to see who had made the comment. Her emerald eyes widen as she suddenly realizes that there was something in a yellow sleeping bag behind the brunette girl. Uraraka freezes for a moment before turning to see what was behind her.

"This is the hero course." With an incoherent, murmuring tone, the unshaved man with long black hair and eyebags under his eyes lectures. The man zips the sleeping bag down as he pulls out a slushy and sips it. "

 _S-Something's here?!_ The three standing at the entrance all stare agape as the black-haired man stands in his sleeping bag.

"Yes, yes." The man mutters as he unzips the sleeping bag from the inside enough, so he can slip his torso out. "Okay, it took eight seconds before you were quiet." The unshaved man then slips off the sleeping bag as he continues to speak. "Time is limited. You kids are not rational enough."

 _A teacher? Which means, that person's a pro hero, too?_ Izuku analyzes the man. _But I've never seen a hero who looked that worn out before._

"I'm your homeroom teacher, Aizawa Shouta." The tall, lanky man enters the classroom. "Nice to meet you."

 _Homeroom teacher?!_

"It's kind of sudden," Aizawa-sensei digs into his sleeping bag as he pulls out a blue shirt with white stripes forming a 'U' on the collar and an 'A' below it. "—But, put this on and go out onto the field."

"Huh?"

"A Quirk Assessment Test?!" The whole class 1-A all echo.

"What about the entrance ceremony? The orientation?" Uraraka asks.

Aizawa answers, "If you're going to become a hero, you don't have time for such leisurely events."

"Ohh…" The whole class let out a short noise.

"U.A.'s selling point is how unrestricted its school traditions are." The unshaved man glances over his shoulder at the nervous students. "That's also how the teachers run their classes." Aizawa holds up a small tablet towards the kids. "You kids have been doing these since junior high, too, right? Physical fitness tests where you weren't allowed to use your Quirks." The teacher elaborates. "The country still uses averages taken from results from students not using their Quirks. It's not rational. Well, the Ministry of Education is procrastinating."

"Bakugo," Aizawa slightly moves his body to face Bakugo. "You finished at the top of the practical exam, right?"

"Oh?" Bakugo grunts in response, attention on the pro hero in front of him.

"In junior high, what was your best result for the softball throw?" Aizawa questions.

Bakugo answers, "67 meters."

"Then, try doing it with your Quirk." Aizawa gives the blonde a softball with a sensor on it. Bakugo takes it with a nod before making his way to the center of a white-marked circle on the field. "You can do whatever you want as long as you stay in the circle" Aizawa explains. "Hurry up. Give it all you've got."

"Then, well…" Katsuki gruffly mutters as he stretches his right shoulder. _I'll add a blast to the pitch._ The blonde swings his arm in preparations and his crimson eyes lock onto the emerald eyes of his childhood friend's for a moment before he turns to face where he needs to throw the ball. Taking aim, Katsuki raises his right arm and bends his body forward as he pivots off his left foot and gathers sweat in his hands. "Die…!" Katsuki launches the ball into the air with a huge explosion from his hand boosting its acceleration.

Izuku mutters to herself, dumbfounded at her childhood friend's antics more than she is amazed at his power. "Die?"

"Know your own maximum first," Aizawa comments in his usual mumbling tone as the ball lands on the dirt field. "That is the most rational way to form the foundation of a hero."

The class roars at the number on the tablet when Aizawa raises it for the students to see. "Woah!"

A long-haired blond with a black jagged stripe in his bangs comments in awe. "750 meters? Seriously?"

A pink haired and skinned girl with yellow horns claps her hands together, excitedly. "What is this? It looks fun!"

A black-haired boy with tape rolls for elbows joins in. "We can use our Quirks as much as we want! As expected from the hero course!"

" _It looks fun,_ huh?" Aizawa mutters. The class becomes silent at the comments. "You have three years to become a hero. Will you have an attitude like that the whole time?"

A rather eerie smile spreads across Aizawa's face. "All right. Whoever comes in last place in all eight tests will be judged to have no potential and will be punished with expulsion."

"Huh?!" In an outrage the class screams.

Panics wells from the very core of Izuku as the words wrap around her mind. _Punished with expulsion?! Oh no… This is bad… In all eight tests?_ Shakily, Izuku grabs her twitching right hand and stares at it with dilated eyes. _I can only use One For All at either a hundred or zero percent. I can't control it yet…_

"We're free to do what we want about the circumstances of our students." Aizawa's calm voice startles Izuku from her racing thoughts. The man combs his long black bangs from his face to peer down at the students with his dark eyes. "Welcome to U.A.'s hero course!"

 _A huge test on the first day of school?_ Sweat slides down Izuku's face. _What am I going to do?!_

"Last place will be expelled?" Uraraka argues, "But it's the first day of school! NO, even if it wasn't the first day of school, this is too unfair!"

"Natural disaster, big accidents, and selfish villains." Aizawa begins, "Calamities whose time or place can't be predicted. Japan is covered with unfairness. Heroes are the ones who reverse those situations. If you wanted to go talk with your friend at Mickey D's after school, too bad. For the next three years, U.A. will do all it can to give you one hardship after another. Go beyond. Plus Ultra." Aizawa motions the students to come forth with a beckoning index finger. "Overcome it with all you've got."

"O-oh!" The class responds to Aizawa's speech. Everyone steels themselves, reading their determination for the tests to come.

"All right, demonstration 's over." Aizawa declares. "The real thing starts now."

The first test of the Quirk Assessments is the 50-meter dash.

Izuku stands next to Katsuki at the start line, feeling nervous as the robot announces. "On your mark…! Get set…!" A gunshot echoes through the air and both students are sprinting.

Bakugo dashes forward before shouting "Explosive speed!" Then the blonde pushes his hand out behind his back and uses explosions to boost his speed.

Katsuki smirks as he flies past the measuring robot which reads out. "4.13 seconds."

On the other hand, Izuku runs as fast as she can and, once she manages to pass the robot, it reads. "7.02 seconds."

Katsuki glances down at both of his hands which are still emitting smoke from the earlier explosions. "When I use both hands, the force disperses…" The boy then turns his head to stare at Izuku who is panting a couple of meters away from him with her hands on her knees. _Deku is…_

Meanwhile, Midoriya is paying no real attention to her surroundings as she tries to formulate a strategy in order to not get expelled. _There are seven more tests. I'm sure everyone will use their Quirks to produce some extraordinary results._ Her face pales as she squints her eyes. _On the other hand, I have this power that will break my body if I use it once._

 _Control… Control…_

Midoriya squeezes her eyes shut in an effort to bring out a clearer image. _Even if I have the image in my head when I have to actually use it…_ She squeezes her knees in frustration.

 _Remember… the feeling_ —think! Imagine the egg… in the microwave… not exploding…!

Determined, Izuku raises her head prepping herself to be ready for the next test.

 _I just can't be last in one test_

However, after the first test, Izuku is faced with the great potential of the other students' quirk. Her physical abilities alone could not match up to those of the others who have their original abilities boosted by their quirk.

By the fifth test, the softball throw, Izuku is desperate.

 _This is bad. It's not something simple that I can just do right away._

 _Everyone's leaving at least one amazing result…_

Izuku gulps as she looks down at the softball with the sensor on it. _All that's left is this, the long-distance run, sit-ups, and the seated toe-touch._

 _It's now or never._

 _At this rate, I'll be last…!_

"It doesn't look good for Midoriya-kun if she continues like this," Iida notes, his arms crossed as he watches Midoriya stare at the ball in her hand.

Both Uraraka and Bakugo turn to look at the glasses-clad bluenette, however, Katsuki is the one to respond.

"Huh?" Bakugo glares at Iida, "Of course not. She's a Quirkless small fry, you know." He points at the green-haired girl.

Iida is surprised by Bakugo's statement. "Quirkless?! Are you not aware of what she did in the entrance exam?"

"Huh?" Bakugo furrows his eyebrows at this piece of information. _At the entrance exam?_

Aizawa stoically stands behind the class and stares at the young green-haired girl, observing her behavior. _It's about time, huh?_

Izuku remembers the words of encouragement from her mother, from All Might as she braces herself. Concluding she had no choice, Izuku squeezes her eyes shut one more time before bringing her arm back and beginning to build up power. She could feel One For All flow through her veins as its power spreads into her right arm and she begins to throw the softball.

 _I'll definitely become one…! A hero…!_

Izuku releases a grunt as she throws the ball as hard as she can—

—however, the power dissipates seconds before she throws it and Midoriya watches in shock as the ball flies only a couple of meters away.

"46 meters"

Doom settles in the pits of Midoriya Izuku's guts at that moment. Her jade eyes are dilated and her mouth agape as her brain tries to process what just happened. Ste stands in disbelief, bringing her hands in front of her. "I was definitely trying to use it just now…"

"I erased your quirk." Midoriya jumps as her attention flies to the approaching Aizawa sensei. "That entrance exam was definitely not rational enough." The man's long hair is flying back as his irises glow a bright scarlet and the bandages around his neck begin to float. "Even a kid like you was accepted."

"You erased my quirk…?" Izuku repeats bewildered. Her eyes flutter around in panic only to focus on the yellow goggles around Aizawa's neck. "Those goggles… I see! You can erase other people's Quirks with your Quirk just by looking at them—the Erasure Hero: _Eraser Head_!"

"Eraser?" One of the students comments, "I don't know him."

"I've heard of him. He's an underground hero." Another mentions.

"From what I can tell, you can't control your Quirk, can you?" Aizawa analyzes.

Izuku gasps, startled by his precision.

"Do you intend to become incapacitated again and have someone save you?" questions the Erasure Hero.

"Th-That's not my intention—" Izuku defends. All of a sudden, a bandage wraps around her back and bring her to Aizawa. "Eek!"

Aizawa glares down at her. "Whatever your intention, I'm saying that's what those around you will be forced to do." He lectures her, "In the past, there was an oppressively passionate hero who saved over a thousand people by himself and created a legend. Even if you have the same reckless valor, you'll just be decked and turn into a useless doll after saving one person."

"Midoriya Izuku—with your power, you can't become a hero." Aizawa declares.

Izuku's emerald orbs can only stare into Aizawa's scarlet glowing ones as she frowns. Aizawa releases the girl from his bandages and sets her to the ground as his appearance turns back to normal. "I've returned your Quirk. You have two turns for the ball throw." The teacher begins walking away, leaving the green-haired girl behind. "Hurry up and get it over with."

In the sidelines, Iida comments. "It looks like she received some advice."

"Probably just telling her she's expelled," Katsuki interjects. His focus is on Izuku as his eyebrows furrows. The girl seemed distraught, her body looming forward without looking up and he could see the obvious unnatural paleness of her skin. _What the fuck did that bastard say to her?_

"What should I do? Which should I choose?" Izuku begins to mutter, allowing herself to mumble out her thoughts as to organize them.

Aizawa watches the girl, observing her once again. _Will she incorrigibly prepare for an honorable defeat here by using all her strength, or become intimidated and settle into last place?_ Aizawa takes out some eye drops and applies them to his eyes. _No matter which she chooses, she has no potential._

On the other hand, Izuku stares out at the field in front of her with the softball in her right hand. _I still can't control my power. Should I let everything I can do hang on this one throw? Even All Might said it wouldn't happen overnight._

Izuku clenches her teeth as she lowers her head and shakes it, squeezing her eyes shut. _This is no good!_

 _If that's my only choice, then I just have to go all out!_ Determined, Izuku opens her eyes to stare out at the field once again.

With a swift action, Izuku pulls her throwing arm back, leaning forward as she readies to throw the ball. _It's just as Aizawa-sensei said!_

 _At this rate, there's no way I'll become a hero._ Izuku focuses all of her control over One For All. _I have to work a lot harder than other people!_

 _That's why, with all my strength…_ The pumping sensation of power flowing through her veins courses through her index finger's tip.

 _I'll do what I can right now!_

Crimson glows through her finger as she throws the ball with all her strength.

 ** _Smash…!_**

The ball shoots through the air at high speed; the wind pressure from it causes Izuku's hair to ruffle. Izuku grits her teeth as the pain sears through her finger. _It doesn't hurt as much as before…!_ Her hand and arm still shake from the sensation of the throw.

 _Do you intend to become incapacitated again and have someone save you?_ Aizawa's harsh words resound in her mind.

The ball bounces on the dirty field hundred of meters away when the score comes in on Aizawa's tablet reading 705.3 meters. Aizawa glances down at the reading. _It wasn't a throw that relied on power. She just concentrated all the power into her fingertip?_

"Sensei…" Izuku's trembling voice catches Aizawa's attention, leading the man to focus on the girl. Izuku clenches her fist as she faces her teacher with a determined expression, biting away the tears brimming her eyes. "I can still move!"

A smile spreads across Aizawa's face as he stares, eyes dilated, at his student, impressed. "This kid…"

"She got over 700 meters?!" One of Izuku's classmates yells.

Uraraka throws her arms up in the air as she cheers. "Finally, a hero-like record!"

"Her finger is swollen!" Iida blinks before transitioning to a contemplative position. "There was the entrance exam, too. She has a strange Quirk…"

Aoyama interjects, "It's no stylish."

In contrast to everyone else's reactions, Bakugo's is the most dramatic. His eyes are dilated and mouth wide-open in shock. _Wh-What's with that power?!_

Katsuki can't stop staring at Izuku, his mind racing for a logical explanation for this. _Everyone's Quirks manifest by the age of four._ However, Izuku had never developed a Quirk—at least not to his knowledge. _This is unthinkable!_

 _But in reality…!_

Izuku's trembling yet determined voice rings. _"S-someone told me… 'You can become a hero'… That it was because of my own effort…!"_

Katsuki's hands twitch as sweat gathers in them and small explosions burst out from them. _What is the meaning of this?_ An explosion denotates in his hand, startling the other around, as he charges forward to the green-haired girl. "Hey!"

"Tell me what's going on," Katsuki howls as he dashes to Izuku with his arms extended forward. "Deku, you bastard!"

At the sight of the fast-approaching blonde, Izuku jumps in shock and fear, her own hair standing up. A strangled cry escapes her throat as she brings her hands up in defense.

The impact doesn't come, though, as Katsuki is abruptly stopped by Aizawa's cloth bandages, forcing the raging blonde to not proceed any further.

Izuku gasps as she realizes what had just happened, while Bakugo tries to fight the bandages. "What the—? These cloths are hard…!"

"They're weapons for capture made of carbon fiber woven together with metal wire made of a special alloy," Aizawa explains. Izuku jolts in fright at the older man's expression. "Geez… Don't keep making me use my Quirk over and over." The rest of the class watch wide-eyed as many of them sweatdrop. "I have dry eye."

 ** _It's such a waste since his Quirk is so amazing!_**

Aizawa releases Bakugo as he sighs. "We're wasting time." He walks away and waves as he motions for the next student to step up. "Whoever's next, get ready."

Cautiously, Izuku glances at Katsuki's pissed face and decides the best course of action is to carefully walk around her childhood friend.

Katsuki grinds his teeth as he glances back to Izuku. The green-haired girl is being fawned over by the brunette girl over her broken finger.

 _Until a little while ago…_ Katsuki clenches his fist. _She was just a pebble on the side of the road._

A young green-haired girl with curly hair tied in pigtails follows behind a young blonde with spiky hair. " _You're so lucky, Kacchan"_ Izuku's peridot orbs sparkle and her freckled cheeks have blushes on them as she praises Katsuki. _"Your Quirk is so cool! I hope I get mine soon, too."_

Katsuki who stands in the front, leading the girl through the forest, turns around and smiles. _"No matter what Quirk you get, you'll never beat me."_

Gritting his teeth, Katsuki turns around to glare at Izuku. _A pebble… on the side of the road!_

After that, Izuku fights against the pain and manages to finish the rest of the fitness tests.

"Okay, I'll quickly tell you the results," Aizawa announces nonchalantly. "The total is simply the marks you got from each test. It's a waste of time to explain verbally, so I'll show you the results all at once."

Izuku squeezes her eyes shut as she clenches her injured hand close to her. _The person with the lowest total score will be expelled. The only result I had that was any good was in the ball throw._ Her teeth clatter as she furrows her eyebrows. _For the rest of the tests, I did terribly because of the pain._

With a press of a button, Aizawa reveals the scores of everyone in the class.

Forcing herself to face reality, Izuku pries her eyes open to glance at the scores. From the top, her emerald eyes scroll to the bottom—finding her name there, in last place.

 _Last place will be…_

Izuku's eyes are wide as she gapes in shock at the results.

 _…_ _expelled?_

Lowering her head, Izuku clenches her fist even tighter in frustration.

"By the way, I was lying about the expulsion." Aizawa deadpans as he shuts down the holographic scoreboard.

The whole class is silent, there eyes all wide open.

Aizawa smiles deviously. "It was a rational deception to draw out the upper limits of your Quirks."

"What?!" Several students scream.

Izuku's whole complexion is pale as if she were a ghost as she continues to look shocked.

"Of course, that was a lie." A girl with black hair tied up in a ponytail sighs. "It should've been obvious if you just thought it through."

"With that, we're done here." Aizawa begins walking away. "There are handouts with the curriculum and such in the classroom so when you get back, look over them."

Izuku takes in a breath before exhaling it out of relief.

"Midoriya," The green-haired girl looks up to find Aizawa-sensei handing her a slip of paper. "Have the old lady fix you in the nurse's office. Tomorrow will be packed with even more rigorous tests. Prepare yourself."

Izuku watches as Aizawa walk away before turning her attention to the paper in her hand. _For now, I was able to get through this, but there was too much that I couldn't do._

 _I'm starting from last place…_

 _I have a lot to learn from here on out in order to get closer to what I dream of becoming!_

* * *

 **What do you think?**

 **I know the past few chapters have been really more Izuku-base building but I have to do this!**

 **Don't worry, soon the fun will finally begin!**

 **If you have any ideas please comment!~**

 **I hope you enjoyed the chapter!**


	4. I'm Not the Same Deku

**Yay! I managed to finish another chapter!~**

 **This has a bit more of the differences between fem!Deku and regular Deku in it!~**

 **Also, I'm sorry this chapter is slightly shorter, but it would be way too long if I didn't end it where I did!**

 **I hope you enjoy the chapter~**

* * *

"I'm so tired…" Izuku sighs as she staggers through the courtyard.

A sudden hand on her shoulder, causes Izuku to pause and turn around, only to find no one other than Iida standing behind her. The sudden presence of the glasses-clad bluenette causes Izuku to jump. "Iida-kun!"

Iida retreats his hand to his side as he asks. "Is your finger healed?"

"Uhh—Yeah!" Izuku, still tense, tries to force herself to calm down. "Thanks for Recovery Girl." Izuku holds out her bandaged finger.

The green-haired girl awkwardly laughs as she remembers the whole encounter.

Having Recover Girl kiss her finger was a bit of a freaky experience, however, after learning of the effects of her Quirk, Midoriya manages to calm down.

 _"Wow, it's healed!"_ Izuku examines her finger in awe and amazement. However, a sudden rush of lethargy overcomes her senses, causing the girl to slide down in her seat. _"But I suddenly feel very tired…"_

 _"My Quirk can only stimulate a person's healing ability."_ Recovery Girl explains, _"Healing requires stamina. If you keep getting major injuries, you'll use too much stamina and end up dying instead, so be careful."_ Recover Girl reaches behind her for a candy dispenser before giving Izuku a candy.

 _"I'll end up dying instead?!"_ Izuku yelps.

As the green-haired girl walks, she stares at her injured finger with great concentration. _I can't just keep getting help from others. I have to hurry up and learn to control my power._

"I was really taken in by Aizawa-sensei." Iida walks beside her as he converses. "I even thought, 'This is the best of the best' and such. I didn't think a teacher would encourage us with a lie."

Midoriya awkwardly smiles. _I thought Iida-kun was scary, but he's just earnest._

"Hey! You two!" A familiar voice calling out to the two classmates cause them to stop mid-step and turn around. They find a cheery brunette girl running towards them. "Going to the station? Wait for me!"

 _Uraraka-san?!_ Midoriya instantly recognizes the voice.

"You're the infinity girl," Iida comments just as Uraraka catches up to them.

Uraraka smiles as she introduces herself. "I'm Uraraka Ochako!" She directs her attention to Iida first, "Um, you're Iida Tenya-kun," Then, she switches to face Izuku. "And you're Midoriya… Deku-chan, right?"

"Deku?!" Izuku screeches in shock to hear the insult from Uraraka.

"Huh?" Uraraka gives her a confused stare, "But during the fitness test, the boy named, Bakugo, said—"

 _Oh yeah… Kacchan did that._ Izuku laughs awkwardly before attempting to explain. "Uh—umm… my real name is Izuku, but 'Deku' is what Kacchan calls me to make fun of me…"

"An insult?" Iida notes.

"Oh!" Uraraka scratches the back of her head. "Is that right? Sorry!"

"No—no, it's fine!" Izuku flusters.

"But 'Deku' sounds like the 'Dekiru' as in 'You can do it!'" Uraraka smiles, "So I kinda like it."

Izuku's emerald eyes widen and glisten as her mouth twists into an awkward smile, trying to contain her own happiness. It starts from her cheeks, they blush a wild rosy pink before her whole face turns red from holding back the giddy feelings. In the spur of a moment, Izuku proclaims. "I'm Deku!" Flowers seem to bloom around her as her shiny peridot eyes sparkle and the green-haired girl nods her head rapidly with brightly flushed cheeks.

"Midoriya-kun?!" Iida shouts in disbelief. The bluenette waves his hand rigidly as he tries to reason with the green-haired girl. "You're accepting it too easily! Wasn't that an insult?"

"Well… I mean—" Izuku twiddles her thumbs as she averts her emerald orbs. A rosy blush dusts over her freckled cheeks as she awkwardly tries to piece together her words. "N-no girls have ever said anything so nice to me before… and—and…"

Uraraka and Iida both wait for the flustered Izuku as the girl shyly tries to explain her behavior. _So cute!_ Uraraka can't help the smile forming on her face at the sight of the adorably timid girl in front of her. _Deku-chan is just so adorable!_

"—And, well… what I mean is…!" Izuku stammers. _Come on, Izuku! Think! Think!_ Uraraka giggles at the other girl's behavior, causing Izuku to freeze and pale. _Oh no! She thinks I'm weird!_

"Deku-chan it is, then!" Uraraka grins, shocking the green-haired girl from her fright. The brunette skips forward, "Come on, Deku-chan, Iida-kun! Let's go!"

Izuku's emerald eyes brighten as the green-haired girl gives a big smile. "Yeah!"

 _There are so many things I can't do._

 _I have to work hard and do my best._

 _But, All Might,_

 _I can at least be happy that I have friends, right?_

The curriculum of U.A. High's hero course starts with regular required classes, like English, in the morning.

Present Mic writes four sentences in English on the board. "Which of these English sentences is wrong?"

Simultaneously, Ashido, Kaminari, and Jirou think. _So normal…_

Katsuki, on the other hand, doesn't even bat an eye at the lesson in front of him. _So damn boring._

" _Everybody, heads up!_ Let's get this party started!" Present Mic fist pumps through the air, trying to grab everyone's attention.

Izuku smiles confidently. _The relative pronoun is in the wrong place in number 4!_ Meanwhile, two seats behind her, Yaoyorozu raises her hand, stoically.

"Okay, Yaoyorozu, _come on_!" Present Mic shouts.

Then, lunch is served at the main cafeteria, where students can buy gourmet food for reasonable prices.

"White rice is great comfort food, isn't it?" The Cook Hero: _Lunch Rush_ gives a thumbs up to the trio consisting of Midoriya, Iida, and Uraraka.

Iida stares at the pro hero in awe as Izuku fangirls over the pro hero in front of her. Meanwhile, Uraraka nods her head, happily chewing her rice and replies. "Yeah."

Later, in the afternoon, there is finally the Hero Basic Training.

"I am…" The familiar, manly rising voice echoes through the hall, even reaching inside the 1-A classroom. Izuku's face brightens in anticipation as her all-time favorite hero is about to appear. Abruptly, the classroom door slams open and a muscular man pops through the door. "—Coming through the door like a normal person."

One could feel the tension and excitement radiating off of each student in the class as the Symbol of Peace bursts into the room.

"It's All Might!" Kaminari enthusiastically points out.

Kirishima joins in. "Wow, he really _is_ a teacher!"

"That's a costume from the Silver Age, isn't it?" Asui inquires in awe.

"It's style is so different," Ojiro cannot help the smile on his face. "It's giving me goosebumps."

All Might stands tall and proud before the class. "I teach Hero Basic Training. It is a subject where you train in different ways to learn the basics of being a hero. You'll take the most units of this subject! Let's get right into it!" All Might flexes his muscles as he prepares something hidden from the class. "This is what we'll do today—" The blonde muscular man then dramatically reveals a cue card with the word 'BATTLE' on it. "Combat training!"

Katsuki's crimson eyes shine with excitement. "Combat…!"

"... Training…!" Midoriya gulps.

"And to go with that are these!" All Might points to the wall to his right and, as if on cue, shelves start to come out of the wall, revealing suitcases with numbers on them. "Costumes made based on your Quirk registrations and requests you sent in before school started."

"Woah!" The class all cheer in astonishment and joy.

"Costumes!" Izuku smiles at the thought as she hugs her big yellow backpack on her desk.

All Might continues to instruct. "After you change, gather in Ground Beta!"

"Yes, sir!"

"They say the clothes make the man, young men and ladies." All Might proudly gives a speech. "Be fully aware…" Gradually, one-by-one the student of class 1-A begin to file onto the grounds. "From now on…" One-by-one, each fully dressed in their unique costumes. "You are heroes…!" All Might smiles as he scans his students. "That's great, everyone. You all look cool!"

"Now, shall we begin, you zygotes?"

 _These are my mother's feelings._

Footsteps echo throughout the dark tunnel as the green-haired girl runs towards the light.

 _What'll I wear if not this!_

The image of Izuku's mother holding up a teal jumpsuit with a smile.

 _Even if it's not the most convenient or state-of-the-art, it's fine._

Midoriya Izuku exits the darkness, standing proud and tall clad in her costume. The main part of the costume is the bright teal jumpsuit with white accents on the sides which hugs her form in a complimenting way. Around her waist is a red utility belt and she wears red combat boots to match. On her knees and elbows are black pads and her hands are covered with white gloves. Her face is covered in a mask with long, ear-like protrusions and around her neck is a respirator with a smile design on it.

 _This is my costume!_

"Oh!" Uraraka spots the new arrival and immediately recognizes who is behind the mask. "Deku-chan?"

"Uraraka-san!" Surprised, Midoriya responds as the brunette approaches her.

"That looks cool!" Uraraka praises Midoriya's costume, causing the teal-clad girl to blush. "Really down to earth kind of feeling."

"Th-Thanks…!" Instantly, Midoriya replies. The girl fiddles with her hands as she looks up at the brunette and back to the ground, repeating the gesture several times as she mutters out. "Y-your costume is really cute!"

"Ehehe…" Uraraka scratches the back of her head. "It didn't really turn out exactly how I wanted it to… I should've written what I wanted… Mine ended up being a skintight bodysuit. It's embarrassing…"

"No-no! It's really adorable, Uraraka-san!" Midoriya flails.

"The hero course is the best." A short purple boy raises a thumbs up after he expresses his opinion which startles Midoriya.

"Now, it's time for combat training!" All Might announces now that all the class has gathered around.

"Sensei!" A familiar voice comes from a more robotic looking costume which stands beside Izuku on her left.

 _Oh, that was Iida._ Izuku blinks as she realizes its Iida under the mask and armor. _He looks cool._

"This is a battle center from the entrance exam," Iida first prompts before asking, "So will we be conducting urban battles again?"

"No, we're going to move ahead two steps!" All Might answers while raising a peace sign. "Most of the time, fighting villains takes place outside, but if you look at the total numbers, atrocious villains appear indoors at a higher rate. Imprisonment, house arrest, backroom deals—In this society filled with heroes," All Might clears his throat. "Truly intelligent villains hide in the shadows! For this class, you'll be split into villains and heroes and fight 2-on-2 indoor battles."

Asui tilts her head as she questions. "Without basic training?"

"This is a real battle to understand those basics!" All Might answers with a raised fist to show enthusiasm. "However, the key this time is that there's no robot you can just beat up."

"How will wins and losses be determined" inquires Yaoyorozu.

Bakugo interjects a question. "Can we beat them up anyway?"

"Will the punishment be expulsion like with Mr. Aizawa?" Worried, Uraraka asks.

Iida raises his hands and adds another, "How shall we be split up?"

"Isn't this cape crazy?" Aoyama randomly comes in.

Shaking in excitement, All Might declares. "I'll answer all your questions!"

From somewhere, All Might pulls out a small booklet of paper. "Now listen here." All Might draws the class' attention as he opens the small book.

 _A script?!_ Izuku quickly catches on to what it is.

"The situation is that the villains have hidden a nuclear weapon somewhere in their hideout. The heroes are trying to dispose of that." All Might elaborates on the exercise. "The heroes need to catch the villains or get the nuclear weapon back in the allotted time. The villains need to protect the nuclear weapon for the whole time or catch the heroes." The Symbol of Peace then pulls out a yellow box labeled 'Lots'. "Teams and opponents will be determined by drawing lots!"

"They're being decided so haphazardly?" Iida argues, bewildered.

"Pros often have to create makeshift teams with heroes from other agencies," Izuku tries to pacify the boy. "So maybe that's why?"

"I see. The discernment to look ahead…" Iida seems satisfies with this insight as he bows his head to All Might. "Please excuse my rudeness!"

"It's fine." All Might twirls around so his back faces the students before raising his fist in the air. "Let's do this quickly!"

"Wow! It must be fate!" Uraraka jumps up and down with a big smile as she approaches the green-haired girl. "I'm counting on you!"

 _Seriously?! With Uraraka-san?! I'm so lucky!_ Midoriya brightens and smiles back to the other girl. "Likewise!"

After all the teams have gotten a chance to get together, All Might stands before them with two boxes: a white one labeled 'HERO' and a black one labeled 'VILLAIN'. The muscular blonde dives his hands into each box, reaching for a ball from each. "The first teams to fight will be…" He then pulls out both hands at once, before dramatically showcasing each ball and their letters. "These guys!"

Simultaneously, Midoriya and Bakugo gasp at the sight of the drawing.

"Team A will be the heroes and Team D will be the villains." All Might declares. "Everyone else, head toward the monitor room."

"Yes, sir!"

As her classmates follow All Might's directions, Izuku only finds herself in a daze. The teal-clad girl's head drops as her eyes fall to the ground. _I'm going to have to fight Kacchan…!_

Izuku glances to her left, even turning her head in the same direction to look at the blonde. Katsuki glares back at Izuku, his crimson eyes focused and intimidating. This causes Izuku to hastily look away out of instinct.

The green-haired girl's body screams for her to run away—to run away from Katsuki. However, she doesn't—she can't. Izuku's hands tremble from the fear coursing through her, but her feet stands their ground. Clenching her fist, Izuku steels herself. _I can't run away here!_

With new determination, Izuku turns her emerald gaze back to the crimson glare.

Katsuki gasps at the flames he sees glow in those large, clear jades. It only makes him feel more infuriated.

"Villain team, go in first and set up!" All Might instructs. "In five minutes, the hero team will break in, and the battle will start!"

"Yes, sir!" Midoriya, Uraraka and Iida respond.

Just as both Iida and Bakugo are about to enter the building, All Might stop the two. "Young Iida, Young Bakugo, learn to think from the perspective of the villains. This is pretty close to a real battle." All Might continues to lecture. "Go all out. Don't be afraid to get hurt."

Katsuki turns his attention from All Might around to Izuku who is chatting with the brunette partner of hers. He pays no mind to the conversation happening next to him.

Iida responds to All Might. "Yes, sir!"

"If things go too far, I will stop it." All Might informs.

"Yes, sir!" Iida responds again.

Katsuki clenches his teeth as he glares at his childhood friend, fury rising within in and about ready to burst.

Inside the building, on the fifth floor, Iida and Bakugo await for the exercise to begin.

"Even if this is training. It pains me to become a villain." Iida comments as he approaches the supposed nuclear weapon they are supposed to protect. "So, our job is to protect this?" The glasses-clad boy examines the thing from top to bottom before knocking on it. "It's papier-mache." He observes.

"Hey!" Bakugo's voice draws Iida's attention to his blonde partner. "Deku has a Quirk, right?"

Iida felt confused. It seemed as if Midoriya and Bakugo had some sort of relationship in the past. _Perhaps, classmates…? From middle school? No—the way the two interact is a bit different than that…_ "You saw that extraordinary strength, didn't you?" _Well, nevermind their relation. Since they have known each other in the past it seems, then why does Bakugo-kun seem to not know of Midoriya-kun's power?_ "It appears to carry a lot of risk, though…" _Oh, perhaps that's it. Midoriya-kun has most likely not shown her quirk due to the immense risk._ "However, you seem to be especially angry when it comes to Midoriya-kun…"

Katsuki filters out the other teen as rage builds in his every fiber. Even his shoulders shake from the fury.

 _Did she dare trick me?!_

Eyes dilated, Katsuki's face contorts into a rather dangerous-looking smirk.

 _That damn nerd!_

Meanwhile, outside the building, two girls sit on the fence railing around the building as they examine the paper floor plans that were provided for them.

Uraraka pouts. "It's a lot of work to memorize the building's floor plan." The brunette's lips lift into a smile. "But All Might is just the same as when he 's on TV." Turning to her partner with a grin, Uraraka cheerfully comments. "Unlike Aizawa-sensei, it looks like there's no punishment, so we can—" However, when Uraraka looks over at Izuku, she can see the girl sweat through her mask as her hands shake while holding the floor plan. "—You're not relaxed at all!"

Izuku's arms are trembling, her hands are unsteady. "Well, it's because…" Izuku begins, trying to release the words from her tongue. "We're up against Kacchan…" Her voice shakes along with her body as she elaborates. "And there's Iida, too, so I feel like I need to be on guard…"

"I see." Uraraka gives her new friend a worried look. "Bakugo is the one who makes fun of you, right?"

At those words, Izuku lets her arms drops and her eyes narrow as she trains her eyes on the floor plan, in an effort to actually memorize it. However, thoughts of her blonde childhood friend bombard her mind, leaving no room to do so.

"He's amazing." Izuku confesses, "He's a piece of work, but his goal, his confidence, his physical strength, and his Quirk are way more amazing than mine."

Uraraka's big brown eyes widen in shock as she looks at Midoriya's expression. Izuku's peridot eyes are soft as she recollects on the blonde teen. _How can she care so much for someone who has been so mean to her…?_

Midoriya stands up, pushing off the railing to do so. "But that's why right now…" The teal-clad girl grabs hold of her respirator and slides it over her chin and over her mouth. "I don't want… to lose…"

A smile finds its way onto Uraraka's lips as she watched the girl before her. Midoriya was so afraid just a moment ago—having to face Bakugo must be one of her biggest fears—and yet now she stands, sturdy and determined. _Deku-chan is amazing!_

"It's a fated battle between rivals, huh?" Uraraka concludes.

Midoriya blinks at the words before quickly assuring the other girl. "Oh, sorry! This isn't your problem, Uraraka-san."

"It is!" Uraraka smiles at the taller girl. "We're a team, aren't we?" She jumps up and raises a fist in the air. "Let's do our best!"

This action brings a smile to Izuku's face as she nods in response.

All of a sudden, All Might's voice echoes throughout the area. "Now, let's start the indoor person-to-person combat training with Team A and Team D! **Start!** "

Carefully and stealthily jumping into the building from the window, two girls file into the building.

"We've infiltrated successfully!" whispers Uraraka, triumphantly, as Midoriya scans the area for any signs of the opposing team.

"There are a lot of blind spots, so let's be careful," Midoriya replies in a hushed tone. The teal-clad girl analyzes both routes before determining which to take, leading her teammate through the building.

With every corner, Midoriya will glance around it to check for any signs of the foe. Once determining that the coast is clear, the green-haired girl is the one to walk in front making sure to scan the area as she goes for any traps. Meanwhile, Uraraka will guard the back, checking behind her every so often to make sure there was no sneak attack coming and double checking the area for any traps. The two stick to this formation for quite some time.

 _I still can't control One For All, so I can't use it against anyone…_

 _If I use that on someone, it'll kill them._

 _We just have to do it with the power I have now and Uraraka-san's Zero Gravity._

 _I've got to use my head…_

 _Those notes on indoor battles…_

Once reaching another corner, Izuku pauses, checks around it before motioning Uraraka to follow after deeming it safe to pass.

 _Battle in tight spaces…_

 _Remember!_

Izuku gasps when she senses _something_ —causing the green-haired girl to hastily look up.

Bakugo is charging at her from the air, his right arm is readying for a swing. Out of instinct, Izuku hastily dodges the assault, tackling Uraraka in the process to get her away from the aggressive attack as the impending explosion happens.

Izuku grunts as she skids against the tile floor along with Uraraka underneath her. Forcing herself up and rolls off of the other girl, Izuku quickly asks. "Uraraka-san, are you all right?"

"Yeah, thanks!" The brunette pushes herself up. She gasps when she sees half of Midoriya's mask has been burnt off and her wild, curly green locks are escaping its hold. "Deku-chan!"

"It's just a scratch," Izuku reassures the other girl.

At the sound of rocks tumbling, both girls' breaths hitch in alarm as Bakugo flings his arm forward, waving away the residue smoke.

"Come, Deku," The blonde boy glares down at the green-haired girl. "Don't dodge."

"I figured you'd come for me first, Kacchan," Izuku states as she gradually pushes herself back onto her feet. Her jade orbs glare into the other's scarlet ones.

Bakugo dashes forward, "I won't do so much damage that this fight gets stopped, but I'm gonna get close!" The blonde smirks as he makes a powerful right swing aimed at Izuku.

However, the green-haired girl reads his moves. So, instead of being hit by the attack, Izuku grabs ahold of Bakugo's arm, stopping it. Bewildered, Katsuki's crimson eyes widen.

"Wow! She's like a martial arts master!" Uraraka cheers from the back, enthusiastically.

Gritting her teeth as she pushes as much strength into her pivot right foot as she can, Izuku pulls Katsuki forward with all her might.

 _What's with her?!_ Alarms go off in Katsuki's head as he feels himself being flung into the air. _Did she read my moves?_ Mini explosions go off in Katsuki's left hand he feels himself lose balance.

With a great roar, Izuku flings Katsuki over her shoulder and onto the ground with great force. From the impact, Katsuki's breath is knocked out of him—causing him to spit.

Panting heavily, Izuku stands her ground. The adrenaline is still pumping through her as she exhales. "Kacchan…" The said blonde teen sits up and forces himself to get back on his feet as he listens to the girl's mutterings. "You usually start with a big right swing. How much do you think I've been watching you?"

"Huh?" Katsuki growls as he turns to look at Izuku.

"I wrote an analysis for all the heroes I thought were amazing in my notebook." Izuku wheezes out. "In the notebook you blew up and threw away."

The furious blonde grits his teeth as he snarls at the green-haired girl.

With one deep inhale, Izuku finally lifts her head. Her big peridot eyes glisten as they glare at the boy on the ground. "My 'Deku' isn't always going to mean 'useless'!" Izuku declares. "Kacchan—"

"—my 'Deku' means 'You can do it!'"

"Huh!" Uraraka gasps, remembering her own words from the day before and Midoriya's joyful expression towards them.

 _"But 'Deku' sounds like the 'Dekiru' as in 'You can do it!'"_ At her words, Midoriya's face brightens almost instantly as the most adorable smile appears on her freckled face.

 _What do you mean a 'You can do it' sort of 'Deku'? Huh?! Deku?_

Katsuki pushes himself back up so he once again stands on his feet. He takes a moment before turning towards the green-haired girl. His full attention is on her.

Focused rage flames through his body as he bends forward, hands out as they build up firepower.

It was like back then.

 _"If you keep going, I'll never forgive you!"_

Izuku would dare stand before him, defy him—even when she is shaking from fear.

 **Even though** she is shaking from fear.

Just like she is now.

Izuku visibly trembles, her arm jolts as she whimpers out and her glassy emerald eyes twitch.

"Even though you're scared…" Katsuki growls. His hands clench as mini explosions are set off in them.

Izuku continues to stand before him—defy him. Her peridot eyes are glossy and watery as she glares at him, her teeth clenched, her hands vibrating from her tremors.

"That's what I **hate** about you!"

* * *

 **How was it? Did you enjoy it?**

 **I hope the differences in reactions makes sense!**

 **I hoped you enjoy the chapter!**

 **ANYWAYS, I'm really excited for the next chapter...!**

 **Next: Deku vs. Kacchan!**


	5. Deku vs Kacchan

**YAY! I finished this chapter!~**

 **Man, this chapter has so much angst!**

 **I believe there are a bit more changes in this chapter compared to the rest!**

 **Also, if you have any ideas, please comment!**

 **Hope you enjoy it!~**

* * *

Because Midoriya Izuku and Bakugo Katsuki lived in the same neighborhood, the two have known each other since they were little toddlers. In addition to the fact that their parents were friends even before the two were born, Izuku and Katsuki – at the age of 4 – were what people would call 'best friends'.

Katsuki was the type who could do anything he tries his hand at; a rascal who led the group of neighborhood kids. For good or bad, Katsuki was full of confidence. He was very popular as a result.

Izuku thought he was so cool.

On the other hand, Izuku has always been a more timid soul. She was clumsy and shy, so she never really interacted with the other kids as much as she did with Katsuki. She didn't mind though, Katsuki was there after all—and that was all she needed at the time.

However, after his Quirk manifested, Katsuki became more and more popular, with praise coming to him from left and right.

Young Katsuki relished in it. Most of all, though, he loved it when Izuku would praise him.

Then, not too long after, it was revealed that Izuku was Quirkless.

Katsuki didn't particularly mind at the time. In fact, the revelation didn't change his mindset much at all.

Only, Katsuki's feelings of _wanting to protect_ Izuku grew.

It was around that time the bullying began.

At first, the culprits were mainly girls. They were jealous of how close Izuku was to Katsuki. The fact that the green-haired girl was Quirkless only boosted the girls' tempers.

Noticing this, Katsuki distanced himself a bit from Izuku and focused on hanging out with other boys his age instead—in an effort to let the bullying fade away.

However, soon after, even the boys began to bully the poor Quirkless girl.

Young Katsuki – with his large pride and ego which grew with every praise – soon joined in as well.

Eventually, it was mainly Katsuki who bullied Izuku.

It didn't help that Izuku, clinging to her friendship with Katsuki, continued to follow the boy and view him as her friend.

 _"_ _Are you all right?"_

All of it accelerated Katsuki down the wrong path.

"Even though you're scared…" Katsuki bends forward with a growl. The sweat in his palms ignites into mini explosions. "That's what I **hate** about you!"

 _People are not created equal._

This was the reality of society in which Izuku learned at the young age of 4.

"Hey, Bakugo-kun!" From the earpiece, Iida's voice comes in with urgency. "Give me your status! What happened?!"

Annoyed, Katsuki places his hand on the earpiece as he snarls. "Just shut up and defend. I'm really angry right now!"

"I'm not asking about how you feel!" Iida argues. "Hey—" His transmission is cut off as Bakugo hangs up.

Meanwhile, in the monitor room, the class and All Might all standby and watch the battle on the screen which holds multiple displays: one following each student and another showing the action.

"What was Bakugo saying?" Kirishima wonders out loud, curious. "You can't tell with just the cameras in a fixed position and no sound."

"He's talking to his partner over the small wireless radio." All Might explains as he points to his own earpiece. "You can bring that plus the building's floor plan, and…" All Might picks up a white tape roll. "—this capture tape! Once you wrap this around your opponent, it shows that you've captured them."

"The time limit is 15 minutes, and the heroes don't know where the nuclear weapon is located, right?" Ashido inquires.

"Yes!" All Might confirms.

Ashido tilts her head and exclaims. "The heroes are clearly at a disadvantage here!"

"Heroes should be able to turn the tables on whatever predicament they're in." All Might lectures. "Besides, didn't Aizawa-sensei tell you, too? You know—"

The whole class breaks out into a smile as they realize what the Symbol of Peace is talking about.

"Here we go—" All Might raises his fist in the air.

 **"** **Plus Ultra!"**

"Monsieur," Aoyama interjects. "Bakugo is—"

Back in the building, Bakugo extends his left hand and flexes it.

This action causes Midoriya to flinch as she realizes just what the blonde is about to do. Promptly, Midoriya shouts, "Uraraka-san, go!"

Katsuki sets off a small explosion in his hand as he charges forward at the green-haired girl. On cue, Uraraka nods and makes a mad dash to flee as Bakugo continues to head straight for Midoriya. The blonde raises his left leg as he aims a kick at Midoriya's head. Hastily, the green-haired girl blocks the kick with her arm.

"Looking away?" Katsuki taunts. "You must be sure of yourself." Crimson eyes widen as Katsuki gasps, catching the small movements Izuku was making. _The capture tape—?!_

In the tiny window of Katsuki kicking her and herself blocking it, Izuku had manages to wrap the capture tape around Katsuki's ankle. Her eyes are determined as she recalls her hero notes. _Hero notebook number 10, page 18!_

 _I'm glad I got to see Eraser Head's moves in person!_ Emerald orbs slide their focus onto the almost captured blonde. _What's next? If it's Kacchan, he'll be impatient and swing with his right again!_

Just as she had predicted, Katsuki begins swinging his right arm at her again. However, as she had predicted it, she manages to jump away before the impact is made, releasing her hold on him with the capture tape as she flees. Hearing the explosion behind her, Izuku turns her head to glance at Katsuki, who twists his head to her in shock. _I was right!_

Returning to the monitor room, the rest of class 1-A let out noises of amazement.

"That girl is amazing!" Satou exclaims.

Sero adds, "She's not even using her quirk and she is fighting against the guy who finished first in the entrance exam!"

All Might watches the battle, internally proud. _She was always good at reacting quickly in a crisis._

 _She spent years writing her notes and internalizing them. The fangirl knowledge is now paying off as it propels her forward…!_

Izuku lands on the floor, panting from the sudden rush as she cautiously watches her opponent. _He kicked first this time to keep me from predicting his moves._

 _He's being cautious now._

Katsuki continues to leer at Izuku as he turns his body to face her and extends his arms to the back. Having an idea of what the blonde was about to do, Izuku makes the quick decision of fleeing around the corner. This causes Katsuki to release a bewildered gasp, but Izuku continues to run without looking back.

Angered, Katsuki yells. "Come back here, Deku!" The furious blonde turns the corner only to find the green-haired girl out of sight. "Khh…!"

Now, cautiously checking behind her, Izuku continues to dash through the halls. _I can't get close to him as easily anymore._

 _I need a plan._

Katsuki rushes around the building, searching for Izuku. At every intersection, the boy would twist his head around, scanning each path for that familiar mop of green curly hair but with no luck of actually spotting it.

Becoming more and more impatient, Katsuki lets his rage take over.

"Hey! You tricked me, didn't you?!" On the top of his lungs, Katsuki screams. "Was it fun tricking me all this time?!"

Hearing those words echo off the walls, Izuku's breath hitches in astonishment.

"Huh?!" Katsuki continues on his rampage. "You've got quite a flashy Quirk there, don't you?!"

Izuku clenches her teeth. _You're wrong, Kacchan…!_

"Try and get me with it!" Katsuki taunts as he bends forward, mini explosions igniting in his hands. "'Cause I'm better than you!"

Back in the monitor room, Kaminari yelps at Bakugo's rampage. "He seems really angry. It's scary!"

All Might observes as Bakugo as he breaks down doors with his explosive Quirk. _I had heard from Young Midoriya that Young Bakugo thinks well of himself, but this is too much._

On the other end of the chase, Izuku pants heavily as she tries to regain her breath. Currently, she is kneeling at a corner, pressed against the wall as she glances down the intersecting hallway. Feeling some spit escape her lips, Izuku wipes it away with her glove. _He completely ignored Uraraka-san and shot at me. I knew it._

 _If they were going to send an advance guard, it would've been better to sent Iida-kun, who has more mobility, and I'm sure Kacchan knows that._

 _That probably means he's running wild on his own, and the two of them aren't working together._

 _In the first place, our chances of winning are lowest if we have a head-to-head battle with those two._

 _If Uraraka-san and I both went to the hideout, that's what would happen. And, even if the two of us stayed here to fight Kacchan, we're in danger of running out of time._

 _This is fine._

 _All that's left is for Uraraka-san to find the weapon and Iida, and then I'll head over for a 2-on-1 fight._

 _That's how we can win._

 _That's assuming I can beat Kacchan, though._

Izuku glances down at her hands before clenching them in determination. _It's fine._

 _As long as I'm careful of his palms, I can do this._

"Where are you?!" Katsuki's roar alarms Izuku. "You damn nerd!"

Izuku's lips stretch into a frown. _And I forgot to tell you, Kacchan—_

 _"_ _You're Quirkless!" Bakugo squeezes his hand into a fist as he growls. "How can you even stand in the same ring as me?!"_

 _"_ _No—wait—Kacchan!" Her arms flail with every word, and gradually she begins scooting herself back into the wall. "It's not like I'm trying to compete with you or anything!"_

 _—_ _I take back everything I said!_

Footsteps echo off the metal walls as Katsuki strides through the narrow hall.

 _"_ _That's why… I'm going…!"_

Mouth clenched and teeth-baring out, Katsuki continues his march.

 _"_ _My 'Deku' means 'You can do it!'"_

Crimson orbs are dark in a raging glare. _She's just a pebble!_

 _"_ _Wow, Kacchan is amazing!" A young girl with her curly green hair tied in pigtails praises the young blonde boy as he dribbles a golden orange ball._

 _"_ _This is easy!" Young Katsuki states as he happily continues to show off his skills. He could feel Izuku's sparkly big eyes on him, watching with amazement as she hugs her own seafoam green ball._

 _"_ _Ow!" The young girl yelps as her seafoam green ball hits her head._

 _"_ _Izuku," Katsuki sighs, "You really can't do anything, can you?"_

 ** _It's all right since I'll -!_**

 _Pointing to the nametag on the girl's pail, the young blonde explains. "You can read the characters for 'Izuku' as 'Deku' you know."_

 _"_ _Kacchan, you can read kanji?" The other boys praise in amazement. Izuku is smiling as her eyes sparkle in awe at Katsuki's prowess._

 _"_ _You can't?" Katsuki taunts. "And, 'Deku' means someone who can't do anything!"_

 ** _You don't need to do anything since I can do everything!_**

 _"_ _Really?" The other kids all moan in awe._

 _Izuku's smile drops, however. "Stop that…"_

 ** _No one else knows._**

 _After throwing it, the rock skips many times across the river. The other boys all cheer in awe at Katsuki's prowess. Izuku's eyes sparkle once again at the amazing feat._

 _"_ _Kacchan, how many times did yours skip?"_

 _Proud, Katsuki declares. "Seven!"_

 _"_ _Wow!"_

 _"_ _That's Kacchan for ya!"_

 _"_ _What about you, Deku?" Katsuki turns to the green-haired girl who is still looking at the river._

 _However, the question only causes the girl's smile to twist into a frown and look away at the ground and blush. "Z-Zero times…"_

 _The other boys laugh._

 ** _See how amazing I am?_**

 ** _No one else can do it._**

 _The sparks ignite in Katsuki's hands like mini fireworks as he shows off his Quirk for the first time in class. Everyone gathers around the young blonde, exclaiming in awe and amazement at his prowess._

 _"_ _Wow!"_

 _"_ _Amazing"_

 _"_ _Lucky!" Izuku joins her own praise in as she stands beside the blonde._

 _"_ _Wow, that's an amazing Quirk!" One of the teachers states._

 _"_ _It really is!" The other teacher adds, "It's a flashy Quirk just right for a hero. Right, Katsuki-kun?"_

 ** _See?_**

 ** _I'm amazing!_**

 ** _No one else is as amazing as I am!_**

 _"_ _You're so lucky, Kacchan" Izuku's peridot orbs sparkle and her freckled cheeks have blushes on them as she praises Katsuki. "Your Quirk is so cool! I hope I get mine soon, too."_

 _Katsuki who stands in the front, leading the girl through the forest, turns around and smiles. "No matter what Quirk you get, you'll never beat me."_

 _She's just a pebble!_

Katsuki glares at the staircase for a moment before he begins to climb it.

 _"_ _Hey, did you hear?"_

 _"_ _Deku doesn't have a Quirk."_

 _"_ _What? Really?"_

 _"_ _Yeah, it's called being 'Quirkless'."_

 _"_ _That's so lame."_

 _Katsuki watches the pale, depressed Izuku who just sits there, unmoving. Her usual full-of-life jade orbs were dark and almost lifeless._

 _"_ _Too bad for her!"_

 _"_ _She's so weird!"_

 _"_ _Don't worry about it, Izuku-chan."_

 ** _You're the least amazing, Deku—_**

 ** _—_** ** _but it's fine since I'm here._**

 _"_ _Forward march, members of the Bakugo Hero Agency!" Katsuki sings as he leads the group over a mossy log bridge. Abruptly, after placing his foot too much to the side, Katsuki slips. "Uwah!" The blonde leader falls over the log and lands in the water with a giant splash._

 _"_ _Kacchan!"_

 _"_ _Hey, are you okay?"_

 _"_ _He's fine. Kacchan's real strong! See?"_

 _Katsuki surfaces from the water with no trouble at all, shaking his head to get some of the water out of his hair and ears._

 ** _I was fine._**

 _"_ _Hurry up and get back up here!"_

 _"'_ _Kay, no problem!" Katsuki replies with a grin._

 ** _Nothing was wrong!_**

 _The sound of uneven splashes draws Katsuki's attention forward to the approaching green-haired girl. Izuku extends her hand, worry evident in her big emerald eyes._

 _"_ _Are you all right? Can you stand?"_

 _Young Katsuki stares at that hand—that small hand which was too clumsy to do anything—with dilated crimson orbs. His smile fading into a grimace._

 _"_ _It would've been bad if you hit your head." Worried, Izuku continues._

 ** _Don't look at me with that face!_**

 _"_ _You looked like you were asking for help…!"_

 ** _Stop it…!_**

 ** _I'm…_**

 _I'm better than you!_

As Katsuki is searching for Izuku, Uraraka has made it to the fifth floor and is now hiding behind one of the lavender-colored pillars. _Found it!_

 _Now I just have to tell Deku-chan and hide until she gets here._ Uraraka reaches for her earpiece, however, she pauses in noticing Iida's actions.

"Bakugo-kun is a natural at being bad, but that fits this training perfectly." Iida mumbles, "Hmm! Then I must also devote myself to being a villain." Iida pep talks to himself. "That's right. This is another trial to turn me into a man who will not bring shame to the Iida family." The over-earnest boy clenches his fists. "Become a villain! Be dyed with evil in order to become a hero!"

"I am…" Iida turns around, to no one in particular, as he practices. His voice deepens in a menacing tone. "…extremely evil!"

At the comical display, Uraraka cannot hold back. She releases a spurt of spit. "Pfft!" _He's taking this so seriously!_

This blows the brunette's cover, however, leading Iida to discover her presence. "Hmm? Have you arrived, Uraraka-kun?"

Knowing that her cover is blown, Uraraka steps out from the pillar.

Iida points at the girl, dramatically. "I knew that you would come here alone the instant Bakugo-kun ran off by himself. Your quirk allows you to make the objects you touch float. That is why I put away all the things on this floor before you arrived." Iida motions to the room, showing off how sparkly clean it is. "Now you cannot play your little tricks! You have blundered, hero!" Iida laughs evilly.

"He's starting to look… like a villain…!" Uraraka murmurs in slight astonishment.

"Deku-chan," Uraraka's voice whispers in Izuku's ear through the radio.

Hushed, Izuku whispers. "Uraraka-san! How's it going?"

"Iida-kun found me. Sorry!" Uraraka reports as she watches and listens to Iida's evil laughter.

Iida approaches her as he continues his act. "I'm evil!"

As the boy slowly approaches her, Uraraka moves back in response. "Right now, he's slowly…"

"Where are you?" Izuku inquires.

Uraraka answers. "The middle of the fifth floor."

"Oh!" Izuku blinks at the information as her mind races and she glances up at the grey ceiling. "Almost directly above!"

 _We probably don't have much time left, either. If we run out of time, our opponents win!_

Izuku's hand clenches the grip tape in her hand. _I can't…_

Izuku stands and unwraps the grip tape and focuses on the intersecting hall where Katsuki would supposedly appear from if she calculated correctly. _I can't lose this fight!_

A ring sounds through the hall, alarming Izuku to turn her attention behind her. She gasps at the sigh of Katsuki a few meters away, glaring at her.

"They're loaded," Katsuki comments as he lifts his right hand, showing his grenade-looking gauntlet.

On her guard, Izuku releases the breath she was holding. "Kacchan,"

"Why won't you use your Quirk?" interrogates Katsuki.

Izuku's breath hitches as she notices Katsuki's bloodshot, dilated scarlet eyes.

"Are you saying you can win even if you don't use it?" Katsuki snarls. "Are you underestimating me, Deku?"

Izuku's whole body trembles under Katsuki's large menacing presence. However, no matter how afraid she is, the girl stands her ground and, in turn, tightens her grip on the capture tape. _I have no choice but to do it._ The teal-clad girl turns her body to face the blonde boy. Her emerald orbs glare into his ruby ones. _I can do it. I can!_

"I-I'm not scared of you anymore!" Izuku declares.

Katsuki's teeth grits tighter as he scowls furiously for a moment before letting it contort into a dangerous smirk. "With your stalking, you probably already know," Katsuki points his gauntlet at the girl.

Izuku's eyes widen as she gasps. _That's a…!_

"My Quirk, Explosion," Katsuki elaborates. "Lets me secrete nitroglycerin-like sweat from the sweat glands on the palm of my hand and makes it explode." Putting his hand on the metal handle of the gauntlet, he pulls it back, revealing a trigger. "If they made this the way I asked," Katsuki moves his right foot back and plants it on the ground. "then these gauntlets will store the nitroglycerin inside them, and…" Katsuki loops his finger around the trigger.

"Young Bakugo, stop!" All Might's voice comes in urgently from the earpiece. "Are you trying to kill her?!"

Light begins to emit from the Gauntlet's gun as Katsuki gently tugs at the trigger. "If I don't hit her, she won't die!" He pulls the stopper out, igniting a huge explosion from the gun.

The force of the giant mass of firepower breaks the surrounding walls as it races towards Izuku's right side. The green-haired girl grunts at the brief impact from only the sides of the explosion as it passes her and hits the wall behind her, destroying the building.

The whole building tremors from the force of the explosion. It even causes both Uraraka and Iida on the 5th floor to gasp as they try to steady themselves.

In fact, even the monitor room did not escape its force. The room shakes from the great vibrations caused by the explosion.

Kirishima shouts. "This is supposed to be a class!"

"Young girl!" All Might shouts into the microphone, desperately. "Young Midoriya!"

As the smoke escapes from the building, loud hyperventilating can be heard. Izuku pants audibly as she lies on the ground, throbbing. Her mask has now fully disintegrated and her costumes on her forearms have disappeared as well. "Is that…" Izuku wheezes as she pushes herself up with her arms. "Even allowed…?" Noticing the approaching footsteps, Izuku gasps and raises her left arm defensively.

Katsuki laughs as he, himself, is in awe by the power. "Wow…" Katsuki's steps don't falter as he approaches the girl, making his observations. "The more that's stored in these gauntlets, the stronger the blast." His voice trembles in excitement as the other gauntlet rings, revealing that it is charged. "Come on, use you Quirk, Deku…" Izuku's mouth is wide opened as she watched Katsuki stride towards her in fear. His expression is wild as he declares. "I'll force you to surrender even if you're at full strength."

"Bakugo-kun, answer me!" Urgently, Iida tries to contact his teammate. "Did you do that? What in the world did you do?"

Uraraka focuses on the weapon, her brown eyes determined. _This is my chance!_

"Explain yourself!" Iida tries.

 _If we retrieve the weapon, we'll win!_ Uraraka sprints forwards.

The brunette's movements alarm the guard, causing him to focus on her and charge at her. "I won't let you, hero!"

Touching her fingers together, Uraraka's fingertips glow pink before the girl jumps into the air. This causes Iida to pause and gasp, looking up as Uraraka float in the air. _We need to touch the weapon itself for it to count as being retrieved._

"Can she make herself float now, too?" Iida stops abruptly.

Uraraka smirks as she brings her hands together once again. "Release!"

Iida reacts quickly, releasing the engines from his calves and powering them up.

 _It's a special move that's hard on my body!_ Uraraka dives forward towards the weapon, ready to grab ahold of it. However, just as she is about to touch it, the weapon disappears from her sight.

Iida hastily grabs the weapon, using his engine legs to dash across the room, away from Uraraka.

The brunette girl screams as she falls to the floor, rolling until she hits the wall. Uraraka grunts from the painful impact.

"You're Quirk is not a threat if you cannot touch anything." Iida states. "I'll hold out until time runs out!" The uptight boy laughs evilly.

Uraraka gradually gets up and turns to glare at the boy. _Deku-chan is trying so hard, though!_

"Hey, hey, what's wrong, Deku?" Katsuki smirks at the fallen girl. "I didn't hit you, so you can still move, can't you?" The blonde gestures for Izuku to come at him. "Come and get me!"

Gritting her teeth, Izuku looks at the ground. _The explosion shot out. He had his costume made so that his Quirk would work even for long distances._ Putting a hand on her right ear, over the earpiece, Izuku focuses on her partner. "Uraraka-san, what's the situation?"

"Deku-chan!" Uraraka's voice comes in from the radio.

Katsuki clicks his tongue in fury. "Ignoring me again? I can't believe her!"

"Sensei, you should stop them!" Kirishima insists. "That Bakugo is really crazy! He's gonna kill her!"

"No…" All Might mutters as he remembers Bakugo's earlier words.

 _"_ _I won't do so much damage that this fight gets stopped, but I'm gonna get close!"_

 _"_ _If I don't hit her, she won't die!"_

 _Strangely enough, part of him is still sane._ All Might observes. _I don't know if it's small-minded or what, but anyway…_

All Might grabs the microphone. "Young Bakugo, the next time you use that, I'll stop the fight, and your team will lose."

"Huh?!" Bakugo responds in disbelief.

All Might explains. "To attack on such a large scale inside is inviting the destruction of the stronghold you should be protecting. That is a foolish plan for both heroes and villains! You will lose a lot of points for it!"

Katsuki lowers his head as he grits his teeth in frustration.

 _As a teacher, I should stop this. However…_ All Might cannot take his eyes off the screen.

Katsuki raises his hands over his head and roars.

Izuku steadies herself on her feet as she continues to contact Uraraka through her earpiece. "Go to the pillar by the windows! Over and out!"

"Fine, then!" Katsuki yells, alarming Izuku. The blonde boy charges forward, using his explosions to boost his speed in the assault. "Let's fight it out with our fists!"

Izuku slides her right foot back only for the floor beneath it to crumble, making her lose hold of her footing. Katsuki jumps above her, ready to fight _It's no good. I can't dodge it!_ She clenches her fist. _A counterattack!_ Katsuki begins swinging his right hand. _What the timing…_

 _Now!_ As Izuku swings her left fist forward, Katsuki pauses mid charge with his left hand extended and sparks flaring as he gives a small explosion in front of Izuku's face. Katsuki brilliantly flies over the green-haired girl just as she is smothered by the residue smoke, getting behind her. Then, after setting off a small explosion to balance himself, he blasts Izuku's back.

The green-haired girl yelps from the pain.

The students watching in the monitor room gasp at the exchange.

"What was that just now?" Kirishima questions in awe.

Todoroki observes. "He doesn't look like the type to think, but he's more subtle than I expected." This comment causes both Kirishima and Ashido to turn to him.

Kirishima asks. "What do you mean?"

"He changed his course in a blast that doubled as a smoke screen and then did it again immediately." Todoroki elaborates.

Yaoyorozu takes over, "Getting in a clean hit while fighting against inertia requires fine lateral adjustments to the power of the explosions."

"He's too talented…" Kaminari sighs and groans, "Too talented… Ugh…"

Izuku stumbles forward as she reaches for her back, instinctively. She could feel her curly green hair tickle her hand, meaning that her hair tie had most likely been blown off. Thankfully, Katsuki hadn't hit her hard enough so that her clothes burned off; however, she could still feel the heat of the explosion in her skin.

"Look, here I come!" Katsuki warns, causing Izuku to turn her gaze to him. "It's your favorite right swing!"

Katsuki swings his right arm, hitting Izuku's elbows with his gauntlets. The green-haired girl screams from the pain, but she is not given any time as Katsuki grabs ahold of the very same elbow. "Deku!" Then, quickly, Katsuki boosts himself with explosions from his left hand, aiding him in his turn before he throws the girl over him and onto her back. "You are…" Izuku grunts at the impact. "… below me!"

 _He's not going to give me a chance to think._ Izuku's breath is knocked out of her as she floats in the air from the harsh impact. _I couldn't do it after all…_

 _He's too strong…!_

 _I have no choice but to use it…_

"This is a lynching…!" Ashido shouts. "He can capture him for this exercise by just wrapping the tape around him!"

"Those are not the actions of a hero," Tokoyami comments as he watches.

"I thought Midoriya was pretty amazing, too," Kaminari taps his head. "But, in terms of combat power, Bakugo is definitely a ball of natural instincts."

All Might's hand shakes as he grips the microphone. _I should stop them. But…_

 _I don't want to stop them, for her sake!_

Izuku pants as she gets back onto her feet. She wills herself to move forward. Hastily and desperately, the green-haired girl practically crawls away from Katsuki and towards the window. Once reaching the window, Izuku turns around to face Katsuki.

"Why won't you use your Quirk?" Katsuki questions as he stomps towards the girl. "Are you underestimating me?!"

Izuku takes in a deep breath before she lowers her head. _You're wrong, Kacchan…_ "No…"

"You've been like this ever since we were kids…" Katsuki growls before he shouts. "Have you been underestimating me like that since then, you bastard?!"

"That's not it…" Izuku replies, shaking.

"You're…" Izuku inhales a deep breath as she raises her head. Her peridot eyes are filled with tears as she confesses. "You're an amazing person, so that's why I want to beat you!"

Katsuki's steps don't falter as he clenches his teeth at the girl's reply. _Then why are you holding back?!_

"I want to win and surpass you," Izuku clenches her fist as she screams. "You idiot!"

"Don't look at me like that!" Katsuki growls before screaming. "You damn nerd!"

Simultaneously, the two jump forward and charge at each other.

 _These are the first passionate emotions she's shown other than "I want to be a hero!"_

All Might cannot tear his eyes away from this fight.

 _I'm sure this is necessary for you to arrive at the future you're looking at._

Izuku and Katsuki both raise their right arms as they prepare to launch their attacks. One For All glows in Izuku's arm as the power pumps into it, ripping the rest of her sleeve. Explosions spark in Katsuki's hand before heat covers the surface of it.

 _Detroit…_

The two teens charge at each other, screaming.

"Both of you, sto—"

"Let's go, Uraraka-san!" Izuku's voice cuts All Might off.

"Okay!" Uraraka responds before immediately hugging a pillar.

Iida looks at the brunette questioningly.

Tears flow out of Izuku's eyes as she narrows them in focus on Katsuki and his searing bright palm.

 _There's still no way I can beat you one-on-one…_

 _But—!_ Mid-swing, Izuku switches the direction of her punch into an uppercut.

 ** _Smash!_**

As Katsuki's explosion meets Izuku's guarding left arm, Izuku punches the air in front of Katsuki, aiming for the ceiling. The pressure from the punch causes the ceiling to crumble and in revelation, Katsuki gasps.

The windows of the floor above all shatter from the pressure of Izuku's attack as the floors break, creating a great amount of debris as her punch penetrates the roof of the building.

Iida who was hugging the weapon gasps at destruction. "What the—?"

Uraraka, on the other hand, uses her Quirk on the broken pillar she is grabbing, making it lighter so she can use it. "Sorry, Iida-kun!" Uraraka raises the pillar and takes aim at the floating debris. "Improvised special move—" Uraraka hits the debris with the pillar. "Comet Home Run!"

All the pieces of rock the girl had hit flies towards Iida who screams. "You call that a home run?!" Hastily, Iida raises his arms to guard his head against the onslaught of rocks.

While Iida is distracted, Uraraka uses her Quirk to make her float and she jumps off the edge of the floor, floating towards the weapon. Once almost above it, she puts her hands together again. "Release!" Quickly, the brunette wraps her arms and legs on the weapon. "Retrieved!"

"No…! The weapon…!" Iida screams dramatically.

Iida's voice echoes through the whole building, reaching the ears of Katsuki and Izuku.

"So, that's what…" Katsuki shakes as he stares up at the hole in the ceiling. "From the start, you were…" The blonde brings his head down to face the girl. "You are underestimating me, aren't you?!"

"I wasn't… going to use it…" Izuku's pained voice snaps Katsuki from his rage; her voice sounded as if she were crying. "Because I can't use it…" Katsuki's crimson eyes widen as he sees the state of Izuku's body. Her raised arm—the one she had used to make that final attack was all maroon red and broken for sure. "Because my body can't handle the impact…" Katsuki's bloodshot eyes twitch at the ugly sight of the injuries as Izuku continues to confess. "Aizawa-sensei said so, too… But…"

In horror, Katsuki's ruby orbs dilate.

Izuku's brilliant green eyes are dilated and wide, not looking anywhere despite staring straight at him. Her left arm—the one which had taken his explosion—is burnt a horrible charcoal color. Her curly green hair is ragged and messy from the blast and all the fighting as well.

"This was all…" Izuku's words come out painfully. "… I could think of…"

Katsuki cannot find any words to respond with as he peers down at her fallen form in horror.

The class is silent as the timer strikes zero, marking that time is up.

"Hero…" All Might begins, gradually regaining composure.

Katsuki watches as Izuku begins to fall. All of her muscle becoming limp as her burnt respirator falls off of her neck.

"Hero team…"

Katsuki steps forward, by instinct, as his childhood friend falls in slow motion. His every action feels heavy. He extends his arm forward, only for his fingers to brush against those ragged green curls.

"…wins!"

Izuku hits the ground.

* * *

 **What do you think?**

 **Was the battle scenes okay? Are my descriptions okay?**

 **Do you think I'll be changing more content after this chapter?**

 **Again, if you have any ideas, please comment!**

 **I hope you enjoyed the chapter!~**


	6. Bakugo Katsuki's Start Line

**OMG! This is my favorite chapter thus far! (mostly because of the ending!)**

 **Woohoo! Soon I'll be able to get through the concrete stuff and then I'll be able to add some fun and cute side stories and then some more plot and then...!**

 **And with that, that brings up a point! If you have any ideas for some fun side stories you would like to see (that fits the timeline) [P.S. at the moment, the timeline is in April... and Training Camp happens in June or July I believe.] then please leave a comment!**

 **I'll see if I can use those stories (though it only works if it fits the current relationship statuses and character development)!**

 **ANYWAYS,**

 **Please enjoy the chapter!**

* * *

"So, that's what…"

Katsuki shakes as he stares up at the hole in the ceiling. He grits his teeth in fury as the growl slips from his throat. The blonde tilts his head down to face the girl. "From the start, you were…"

"I wasn't… going to use it…"

Izuku's pained voice snaps Katsuki from his rage; her voice sounded as if she were crying. Katsuki loosens his clenching teeth as his breath hitches.

"Because I can't use it…"

The fog begins to clear and Katsuki's crimson eyes widen as he sees the state of Izuku's body. Her raised arm—the one she had used to make that final attack was all maroon red and broken for sure.

"Because my body can't handle the impact…"

Katsuki's bloodshot eyes twitch at the ugly sight of the injuries.

"Aizawa-sensei said so, too… But…"

In horror, Katsuki's ruby orbs dilate.

Izuku's brilliant green eyes are dilated and wide, not looking anywhere despite staring straight at him. Her left arm—the one which had taken his explosion—is burnt a horrible charcoal color. Her curly green hair is ragged and messy from the blast and all the fighting as well.

"This was all…" Izuku's words come out painfully. "… I could think of…"

Katsuki cannot find any words to respond with as he peers down at her fallen form in horror.

 _"_ _S-Someone told me…"_

Katsuki watches as Izuku begins to fall. All of her muscle becoming limp as her burnt respirator falls off of her neck.

 _"_ _You can become a hero…"_

Katsuki steps forward, by instinct, as Izuku falls in slow motion.

 _"_ _That's why…"_

He extends his arm forward, only for his fingers to brush against those ragged green curls.

 _"_ _I'm going…"_

Izuku hits the ground.

"Indoor person-to-person combat training…" All Might's voice echoes throughout the building.

Katsuki looms over the green-haired girl's fallen form, head lowered as he gazes down at her.

"Hero team…"

Subtly, Katsuki's whole body trembles, his dilated gaze on Izuku, and his ears ring but he can still hear All Might's voice loud and clear.

"…wins!"

The class all gaze at the displays, astounded by the turnout.

"What the heck?" Kaminari is the first to voice himself. "The losers are practically uninjured, and the winners are on the ground…"

Tokoyami lowers his head as he comments. "They lost the battle, but won the war, huh?"

"This is training, though" Asui deadpans.

All Might heads over to the scene after calling in for transportation for the injured Midoriya to be escorted to the nurse's office. As the stretcher carrying robots leave the damaged building with unconscious Midoriya on the stretcher, All Might gives one last glance to check on the girl; his gaze following her as they leave. He then twists his attention towards the silent Bakugo.

Katsuki's body is still trembling. His crimson eyes are dilated as he stares at his twitching right hand.

 _My right…_

 _Deku predicted it…_

 _On top of that… she found a way to win the exercise…_

 _"_ _You're an amazing person, so that's why I want to beat you!"_ Izuku's confession returns, _"I want to win and surpass you, you idiot!"_

 _Does that mean…_ At first, Katsuki begins panting as the action gradually grows into hyperventilating. _…even if we fought all-out…_

 _…_ _Deku would completely beat…?_

Katsuki's breath hitches when he feels a large hand on his shoulder. "We're going back, Young Bakugo." All Might snaps the boy from his racing thoughts. "It's time to review the results." Tenderly, All Might lectures the blonde teen. "Whether you win or lose, looking back and learning from your experiences is a part of life."

After everyone has gathered in the monitor room, with the exception of the injured Midoriya, All Might begins his lecture. "Well, even if I say that the MVP of this battle was Young Iida!"

Only Iida from the three remaining combatants reacts to this statement. The bluenette gasps in surprise while Katsuki stares at the floor silently and Uraraka holds her hand over her mouth as she tries to calm her stomach.

"It's not either of the winners, Ochako-chan or Izuku-chan?" Asui questions.

"Hmm, well…" All Might prompts, "Why is that?" He dramatically raises his hand, "Does anyone know?"

"Yes, All Might-sensei." Immediately, Yaoyorozu responds, raising her arm. "That is because Iida-san adapted the most to the context of the training. From watching the match, it appears Bakugo-san acted on his own because of an obviously personal grudge. And as All Might-sensei said earlier, it is foolish to launch a large-scale attack indoors. In the same way, taking into consideration the damaged he received, Midoriya-san's plan was also rash. As for Uraraka-san… She let her guard down mid-battle, and her final attack was too reckless. If she treated the papier-mache as a real weapon, she would not have been able to do something so dangerous. Iida had prepared for his opponent's arrival and assumed it would be a fight over the weapon, which made him late in responding to the final attack." At those words, Iida's mouth twitches into a large grin as sparkles surround his joyful aura. Ignoring this, Yaoyorozu continues her explanation. "The hero team only won because they took advantage of the fact that this was training. They were practically breaking the rules."

 _She said more than I expected._ All Might shakes as his smile twitches. "W-Well, Young Iida also has parts of him that could be more relaxed, but well, that was correct!" All Might holds up a thumbs up for the ponytail girl.

"We should always start with the basics to develop depth of learning." Yaoyorozu dignifiedly declares, "We must strive to devote ourselves wholeheartedly. Otherwise, we cannot become top heroes."

"All right everyone, let's change locations and start the second match." All Might changes the topic. "Tackle this training after thinking about what we just talked about."

 **"** **Yes, sir!"**

"Match two!" All Might announces. "Team B are the heroes and Team I are the villains!"

Inside the building, Ojiro and Hagakure are preparing to meet the hero team.

"Ojiro-kun!" Hagakure's voice draws Ojiro's attention as the blonde boy stretches his shoulders. "I'm going to get serious." Hagakure declares as she starts taking off her gloves and shoes. "I'll take off my gloves and boots, too!"

"O-Okay…" Ojiro nods, sweatdropping. He turns away from the invisible girl as he scratches his cheek. _Hagakure-san, that's the correct decision as an invisible person, but that's not great for a girl, morally speaking._

As if just realizing it, Hagakure gasps and moves to cover herself. "You can't look, okay?"

Ojiro replies, "I can't see you even if I tried."

"Now, let's start the second indoor person-to-person combat training match!" All Might announces as a siren blares, marking the start of the battle.

Shouji stretches out his six arms, forming ears from the snubs. The tall teen uses four ears to listen for any little sound made in the building, trying to ascertain the location of the opposing team. As he is doing so, Todoroki enters the building from behind him. Once locating the other team, Shouji's ears morph into mouths and one of them reports. "One in the hall on the north side of the fourth floor. The other is somewhere on the same floor… They're barefoot…" Another mouth adds in. "The invisible one is coming to ambush and capture us, huh?"

"Go outside." Todoroki walks ahead of Shouji as he warns. "It's dangerous." Striding through the hall, Todoroki does not falter. "I'm sure our opponents intend to fight a defensive battle…" The white- and red-haired boy raises his right hand, emitting light blue frost particles from it. Todoroki pauses and stretches his hand out, so it touches the wall. From his right hand and foot, frost forms on contact and spreads rapidly throughout the whole building, freezing the floor and walls. "…but that does not matter to me."

Shouji strides out of the building, understanding Todoroki's warning, and turns around to watch the whole building's exterior freeze over as well. Shouji gasps in astonishment at the showcase of power.

Meanwhile, the villain team is victims of the ice. From the freezing, their feet are frozen to the ground. Barefoot, Hagakure yelps. "Owww… My feet!"

"Th-This Quirk is…" Ojiro exhales, bewildered as he struggles to get his foot out of the ice.

From the ajar door, echoes of clinking footsteps bounce into the room, causing the occupants to focus on the door.

Todoroki's left eye glows red from underneath the ice-looking costume as he passes through the door. Defensively, Ojiro raises his hands and tail, ready to fight back.

"You can move if you want," Todoroki warns with a small smirk, "But the skin on your feet will come off, so you won't be able to fight your best."

Ojiro grunts as he stands his ground but does nothing as Todoroki passes by him.

Meanwhile, the villain team wasn't the only ones feeling the brunt of Todoroki's ice as the class in the monitor room shivers from the chilly air.

"He did not cause any damage to his teammates or the nuclear weapon," All Might analyzes out loud, "And on top of that, he weakened the enemy."

The whole class cannot help but glue their eyes on the screen as Kaminari shouts, "He's so strong!"

Katsuki's scarlet eyes are twitching as he watches the other teen behind the display in awe and shock. _This guy is good…!_

 _…_ _possibly… even_ _ **better**_ _than me…?!_

As Todoroki places his left hand on the pseudo-weapon, All Might announces. "Hero team wins!"

After ascertaining victory, Todoroki releases fire from his left side and proceeds to melt his ice.

Feeling the change in temperature, Ojiro looks back at Todoroki, bewildered. "Heat?"

In a matter of seconds, all the ice encasing the building is melted. The residue water is so hot that Hagakure jumps up and down, trying to not burn her feet. "It's-It's-It's hot!"

"Sorry." Todoroki apologizes as he turns away from the weapon and proceeds to exit the room. "The difference in our ability was too great."

"W-Wow!" Satou praises.

Kaminari sighs in exasperation, "What's up with that Quirk?"

"As expected of someone who got in through recommendations." Asui comments.

"All right, everyone gathers around for a review of the second match." All Might instructs. "Next, we will begin the third match!"

 **"** **Yes, sir!"**

Katsuki doesn't join in as the rest of the class go over the battles. Instead, the blonde bites his lip in frustration and lowers his head. _What is this?_

 _How is there someone better than me…?!_

 _First Deku. Now, this guy…!_

A whistle blows, marking the end of the class.

"Good work everyone!" All Might congratulates the class. "We didn't have any major injuries other than Young Midoriya's, either! You guys took this on seriously! You all did a good job for your first training!" All Might raises a thumbs up.

Asui raises her hand. "To have such a proper class after Aizawa-sensei's class…" The frog-like girl scratches her cheek as the rest of the class, with a few exceptions, nod their heads. "It's kind of anticlimactic…"

"We're free to have proper classes, as well!" All Might declares as he raises his arms in the air. "Well then, I must review the results with Young Midoriya!" All Might raises a hand, gesturing a farewell. "Change and return…" He then stretches dramatically before taking off, sprinting at high speed down the hall. "…to the classroom!"

"All Might's amazing!" Kaminari shouts.

Ojiro questions, "Why was he in such a hurry?"

Mineta covers his mouth as he trembles in awe. "So cool…"

Meanwhile, as All Might dashes down the hall, he takes a glance over his shoulder. The No. 1 Hero focuses on the strangely quiet blonde behind the rest of the class. _Young Bakugo is a mass of pride…_

… and there's nothing more fragile than a heart that's swelled to bursting.

 _As his teacher, I must counsel him well._ All Might turns his head back around as he continues to run. _But, right now…_ He tries to hold back the strain on his body as he places a fist near his mouth and coughs silently. Rushing into the 'staff-only' exit, All Might hastily closes the door behind him with a button.

All Might pants, exhausted. _If I teach a class…_ With a puff of smoke, his muscular form deflates and he returns to his original lanky and bony form, wheezing.

 _…_ _I barely have enough time._ _ **Shit!**_

"The school year only just began and she's already been in here three times!" Recovery Girl points out in exasperation at the bony man in front of her. "Why didn't you stop her, All Might?"

All Might coughs a couple of times before answering. "I apologize, Recovery Girl."

"What are you apologizing to _me_ for?" Recovery Girl fumes, "On top of her total exhaustion, she was here just yesterday." Recover Girl sighs as she twists her chair to look at the resting girl in the bed beside her. "I can't treat her all at once. I did first-aid treatment already, so after the IV is finished, we can only wait for her body to heal slowly overnight." Twirling back in her chair, Recovery Girl frowns. "Geez, I know she's your favorite and that you passed on your powers to her, but that doesn't mean you should spoil her!"

All Might rubs the back of his neck as he lowers his head in defeat. "There is nothing I can say to that. Because I wanted to consider her feelings, I hesitated to stop the training match. Even so… Will you please not talk about One For All so loudly?" Desperately, All Might raises his finger over his mouth as to signify the importance of secrecy.

"Ahh—yes, yes, Mr. Natural-Born Hero. Mr. Symbol of Peace." Recovery Girl leans back in her seat as she sighs, exasperated.

"My injury and this form of mine are common knowledge among the U.A. teachers and a certain group of pros, but the secret of my Quirk, One For All, is known only to you, the principle, my close friends, and Young Midoriya." All Might elaborates.

"I know it's not like you want to rest on your laurels at the top," Recovery Girl sighs, "but is being a _natural-born hero_ or the _Symbol of Peace_ really that important?"

All Might claims, "If I no longer am, then the superhuman society will be seized by evil." All Might looks down at his own hand. "This is the responsibility of those of us with this power."

Recover Girl's frown twists into a smile as she sighs softly. "If that's the case, then it's even more important for you to learn what it means to guide someone." Recovery Girl lectures.

"Yes, ma'am."

When Midoriya Izuku regains consciousness, the first thing she sees is the white ceiling above her head.

 _Drip. Drip. Drip._ Like a constant, steady rhythm, she can hear some sort of liquid dripping near her and it takes her a moment to realize what it is. _Ahh—an IV…_ She tilts her head very slightly to confirm it before her jade orbs slowly follow the tube to her arm, where the drip is connected to a vein. She releases a small breath before inhaling and exhaling as smoothly as she can, trying to circulate the air through her lungs. She closes her eyes softly, nuzzling her head back for a moment before opening her eyes once again. This time, her peridot orbs land on the wall clock.

 _It's late afternoon…?_

"Are you awake?" All of a sudden, Recovery Girl's face is in Izuku's view, blocking the clock and shocking the girl from her trance.

Afterward, Recovery Girl treats Izuku's injuries giving the girl a cast and a lecture before sending her off. "That's all for today's treatment. Come back again tomorrow, okay?"

Walking down the large hallway, Midoriya Izuku sighs. _I ended up skipping my afternoon classes…_ Izuku turns her head to look out the window with dead eyes and an exhausted smile. _Aizawa-sensei is gonna wrap me in those bindings again…_

Not looking forward to the punishment to come, Izuku slides open the door skeptically.

"Oh! Midoriya's back!" A boy with spiky red hair exclaims as the green-haired girl walks in. This prompts him and several other students to gather around the girl. "Good work!"

Midoriya blinks at the treatment before belatedly letting out a yelp.

"Man, I don't know what you were saying during the match, but you were fired up!" The red-haired boy praises her.

A skinny black-haired boy who also approached her adds in. "I can't believe you fought even with Bakugo, who was first in the entrance exam!"

Dumbfounded by all the praises, Midoriya looks like a goldfish as the group continues.

"You did a good job dodging!" A girl with pink hair and skin and yellow horns grins.

"You guys did that in the first match," states a rather large brown-haired boy with big lips. "So, the rest of us had to give it our all, too."

"You were far from elegant, but—" A blonde boy with sparkly eyes starts to say only to be cut off by the pink girl.

"You did a good job dodging!" The pink girl cheers as she jumps up and down.

Bewildered, a blush rises in Midoriya's cheeks as her big peridot eyes widen and she flusters. "H-Huh?!"

Pointing to himself with his thumb, the red-haired boy introduces himself with a grin. "I'm Kirishima Eijirou." He then points behind him to the skinny black-haired boy. "We're all going over the training together right now."

"I'm Sero Hanta." The skinny black-haired boy introduces.

From his seat, the blonde sparkly-eyed boy begins, "I'm Aoyama Yu—"

Only for the pink girl to cut him off again, excitedly, as she waves her arms. "I'm Ashido Mina! You did a good job dodging!"

From behind the pink girl, a frog-like girl with long dark green hair pops out. "I'm Asui Tsuyu. Call me Tsuyu-chan, okay."

Holding up a thumb up, the large brown-haired guy with big lips joins in. "I'm Satou!"

"Um…" Midoriya Izuku, who has never experienced so much positive attention on her whole life until now, is at a loss at how to react. The curly-haired girl panics as she looks from side-to-side at everyone in front of her. "Er…"

All of a sudden, a small boy with purple ball-like hair jumps in front of her. "I'm Mineta!"

Startled, Midoriya lets out a yelp. "Woah!"

Kirishima laughs, exasperated. "Where the heck did you pop out from?"

Aoyama continues to introduce himself in the background only to be ignored as Satou comments while pointing at the small boy. "You did terribly in the training."

At the back of the room, Tokoyami mutters. "You're too loud."

"Tokoyami-kun!" Like a robot, Iida approaches the dark, bird-looking boy. The uptight boy rigidly motions to Tokoyami. "That desk is not a chair. Get off immediately."

"It's not that big of a deal, is it?" Jirou comments.

"Wh—!" Iida gapes in shock.

Ojirou sweatdrops as he points to Iida's hands. "What's with those hands, anyway?"

Iida drops his head. "You people…" He then swings back up as he lectures. "I cannot condone actions that disrespect the desks the great men and women who are our upperclassmen once used!"

"You're too loud." Tokoyami deadpans.

The group at the entrance, having their attention drawn by the loud Iida all watch the scene with smiles. Midoriya smiles awkwardly. _Iida-kun never wavers, does he?_

The door on the other side of the room slides open, revealing Kaminari holding a bunch of books and Uraraka holding some as well behind him. "Hey, Uraraka," Kaminari turns to Uraraka as the two enter the classroom. "Wanna grab a bite to eat sometime? What do you like?"

Uraraka seems to contemplate for a moment before beginning to answer. "Mochi—" However, the girl does not finish as her eyes are drawn to the color green at the other end of the classroom. In spotting the familiar head of curly green hair, Uraraka turns away from Kaminari and heads straight for Midoriya. "Wait, Deku-chan, she didn't heal your injuries?"

"Oh, uh," Midoriya explains trying to clear up the misunderstanding, "It's because of how much stamina I have, and…" As Midoriya tries to find the right words, her emerald orbs scan the room. However, lack of the familiar shade of spiky blonde hair causes Midoriya to pause. Her eyebrows furrowing, Midoriya turns to the brunette girl. "Um… Uraraka-san, more importantly…"

Eyeing her childhood friend's empty seat, Midoriya asks. "…where's Kacchan?"

Uraraka blinks for a moment and the rest of the class goes silent as well, not expecting this question to come from Midoriya of all people.

"We all tried to stop him," Uraraka answers with a scratch to her cheek, "But he went home just now without saying anything."

For a moment, Midoriya doesn't respond and continues to focus on the empty seat by the window, her lips parted slightly. Her lips then stretch into a thin line before she twirls around. "Sorry, everyone. There's something I must do!" Midoriya waves her classmates goodbye quickly before hastily dashing out of the class and out of the building.

Desperately, Izuku sprints through the hall, her eyes forward and only focused on her goal.

 _"_ _Hey! You tricked me, didn't you?!"_

Katsuki's words echo through Izuku's mind as she hastily jogs down the stairs, practically stumbling down them.

 _"_ _Was it fun tricking me all this time?!"_

Izuku continues to dash through the school, running as fast as she can through the entrance.

 _"_ _You've got a flashy Quirk there, don't you?!"_

Izuku pauses in front of the school for a moment to catch her breath as she looks out at the orange sky and the courtyard, spotting the lone figure walking away from the school. Izuku's breath hitches as she realizes that the figure is Katsuki and hastily she dashes forward to catch up to him. "Kacchan!"

Katsuki does not stop walking and continues to step away steadily. Izuku desperately calls out, "Kacchan!"

This time, this call seems to reach the blonde's ears as he stops in the middle of the courtyard. "What?" Katsuki turns his head to look over his shoulder and glares.

Reflexively startled by the aggressive glare, Izuku gasps as her feet lock up with her being only a few meters away from Katsuki. Izuku lowers her head as she looks at the ground, unable to meet Katsuki's red gaze. Her lips twitch as sweat rolls down her cheek. _It's a secret I didn't even tell my mom…_

 _But…_

"There's one thing I feel like I have to tell you." Still unable to meet the other boy's gaze, Izuku begins to speak looking at the ground.

Katsuki silently watches the girl from over his shoulder, noting how she still hasn't changed from her damaged hero costume and her broken arm is slung in a blue cast. Her curly green hair hangs just on her shoulder as orange light seeps from the back, shadowing the girl's face from his view, but he can still see the girl's freckled cheeks and pale lips.

"My Quirk is something I received from someone else," Izuku confesses.

 _Huh?_ Katsuki turns a bit more towards the girl, confused by her statement.

"I can't say who I got it from, though!" Izuku spits out. "I won't say… But it's like a story out of comic books, except it's true." The girl tries to accommodate by describing the situation a bit, vaguely. "On top of that, I still can't control it properly."

 _What is this stupid girl saying?_ Katsuki can only feel more and more confusion over the girl's words.

"It's just a borrowed power that I haven't made my own yet," Izuku explains.

 _A borrowed power? Yeah, right._ Katsuki scowls.

"That's why…" Izuku continues, "I tried to beat you without using it. But, in the end, I couldn't win and had to rely on it."

 _That's what you're supposed to use a Quirk for…!_ Katsuki can feel a growl building in his throat from the frustration. _Are you looking down on me…?!_

 _Huh, Deku?!_

"I've still got a long way to go…" Izuku stands up straight, though her head is still lowered. "That's why…"

Gradually, Katsuki had turned his head more and more towards the girl throughout her little speech. A vein pops from his head as he grits his teeth in irritation. _At least look me in the eye if you're going to try to make up some stupid fucking story, Deku…!_

"That's why—" Izuku pats her cast with her other hand. "One day, I will make this Quirk my own and beat you with my own power!" Izuku finally looks up, meeting Katsuki's angry eyes with her determined glowing emerald ones.

The anger in Katsuki's eyes fades away and fills with blank shock instead. Izuku gasps as she realized what she had just said.

 _I just came to tell him I didn't trick him._ Heat rising in her cheeks, Izuku tilts her head down to hide her embarrassment as she averts her jade orbs away from Katsuki. _What am I…?_

Katsuki pauses for a moment, letting the girl's words soak in before releasing a growl. "What the hell is that?"

Izuku flinches as her breath hitches and she hastily looks up at Katsuki.

" _Borrowed power?_ " The blonde teen fully turns his body towards the girl with his head tilted down so she can't see his eyes under his blonde hair. "You're talking nonsense." _There's no such thing as 'borrowed power'… does she take me for a fool? That Deku?!_ "What are you trying to do, make me out to be more of a fool than you already have?"

"Huh?" Katsuki tilts his head to the side as his bottled-up frustrations are released. "What are you trying to say?" His body shakes as he clenches his teeth. "Today, I lost to you…" Katsuki's eyes feel heavy as his vision becomes blurry. "That's all it was… That's all…"

"As I watched the ice guy," His emotions riding high, Katsuki continues his rant, letting the words flow from his mouth. "I thought, 'I can't beat him'!" He shouts as he tilts his head back and covers his face with his left hand. "Damn it! I ended up agreeing with what that ponytail girl said!"

Throwing his hand down, Katsuki cries out. "Damn it! Damn it, damn it!"

Izuku's eyes are wide as she watches every moment of Katsuki's rampage. This is the first time she has ever seen the boy so emotional—beyond the anger. She can feel it, his frustrations, his sadness, his lament.

Clenching his fist, Katsuki's whole body continues to tremble. "Hey, you too, Deku!"

"I'm just…" Raising his head to look Izuku in the eyes, Katsuki reveals his determined ruby eyes with tears on the brim of them. Izuku's breath hitches at the sight, her own peridot eyes dilating. "I'm just getting started!" Katsuki screams. "You hear?"

"Here, I will become number one!" Katsuki declares.

Izuku closes her part lips as her eyes narrow in determination and she nods, silently. Katsuki continues to meet her determined emerald orbs with his own scarlet ones, the tears still evident in them.

After a pause, Katsuki turns around, wiping the tears from his eyes as he shouts. "You won't beat me again, bastard!"

Izuku watches as the blonde begins walking away and she releases the breath she never knew she was holding.

 _Kacchan…_

"There he is!" A long and loud shout, catches Izuku's attention, causing the girl to look at where the sound is coming from. All of a sudden, she is pushed forward as something speed past her.

"Young…" All Might dashes at full speed towards the retreating blonde teen. "Bakugo!" Once catching up to the boy, All Might locks him in place with his hands on the teen's shoulders.

All Might takes a moment to catch his breath before he begins his supposed inspirational speech. "Just so you know, pride is important. You definitely have the abilities needed to become a pro. You still have a lot of—"

"Let go of me, All Might." Kastuki's low voice interrupts the larger blonde's speech, causing the mood to shift drastically. "I can't walk."

"Hmm?" All Might looks down at the boy.

Katsuki turns around, glaring at the man, revealing a few tears. "I'll become a hero that surpasses even you without you telling me!"

 _Huh?_ All Might blinks in shock as he awkwardly lets the blonde teen go. "Uh, right." Once released, Katsuki continues on his way to exit the school, his head lowered as he wipes his tears. _He's gotten over it._

Izuku tilts her body so that she can see around All Might's bulky body, watching her childhood friend as he exits the school. She had a feeling she knew what All Might was about to say but was more surprised over Katsuki's reaction. _As expected… Kacchan really is amazing!_

On the other hand, All Might watches his student leave the school as he sweats. _It's hard being a teacher…_

Meanwhile, in the school building, three girls had been watching the whole event since the beginning.

Ashido has her hands on the glass as he peers down at the whole leftovers from the episode, questioning. "What was that?"

"The fated battle between rivals," Uraraka answers, cheering for her green-haired friend below.

Asui turns her head toward the other girls as she comments. "It looked like Izuku-chan was just giving excuses one-sidedly, though."

Uraraka pushes her forehead against the glass as she insists. "A fated battle between rivals!"

Midoriya Izuku watches Bakugo Katsuki's back as the latter leaves. His body glowing in an orange tone due to the setting sun.

 _Kacchan's fuse has been lit._

 _That doesn't change what I have to do._ Izuku stands, resolute, as she continues to watch his back. _I just have to chase after him._

"Young Midoriya!" All Might suddenly addresses the girl. "What were you talking about with Young Bakugo?"

Izuku tilts her head up to meet All Might with wide, blank eyes for a moment as she recalls her conversation with Katsuki.

Heat rises in her cheeks as she remembers her embarrassing declaration. "Um…" Izuku flusters as she tries to find words to use, "We were, uh…!"

"Hmm…" All Might hums, hiding his initial slight shock at the girl's reaction. He then bends down towards the flustered girl, holding a hand to his ear as a gesture to amplify his hearing. "I'm so curious. Why don't you tell me in detail?"

"U-um, a-actually…" Izuku fumbles.

 _Ahh—youth._

* * *

 ** _So... how was it?!_**

 ** _My favorite part of writing this whole chapter was the changes I made with Izuku! Fem! Izuku is a bit more on the reserved side and due to her past of being bullied she isn't used to all the attention she is gaining!_**

 ** _I absolutely love the change in the end that I made (with All Might teasing)~_**

 ** _Oh, and I really wanted to add Mineta having his more pervy reaction but I thought it wasn't that appropriate here..._**

 ** _Oh well, you have more chances Mineta._**

 ** _Again, if you have any ideas, comment soon!~_**

 ** _I hope you all enjoyed this chapter as much as I did! XD_**


	7. Class Representative Elections

**Hey! It took me a bit to think of some of the beginning parts (cause it's my original scene!)**

 **Anyways, we are heading into the USJ arc! XD**

 **Again, if you have any ideas or scenarios that you would want to see, please comment!**

 **Now that that is done...**

 **Please enjoy the chapter!**

* * *

"You told Young Bakugo?"

"I'm sorry." Izuku's eyebrows are furrowed as her emerald eyes watch the ground in guilt. "I didn't even tell my mom, but for some reason, I felt like I just had to tell him." Izuku continues to apologize. "I'm really sorry."

 _I judged that she was not the type to show off, so I did not admonish her strongly, but this seems to be the result of her sincerity backfiring._

"Fortunately, Young Bakugo did not seem to take it seriously, so I'll let it go this time." Izuku gasps as she looks up at All Might, surprise evident in her eyes. "But please don't do it again. Please think carefully about what it means to have this power." All Might elaborates, "If word gets out, it's clear that the world would be teeming with those trying to steal the powers from you. This secret should be kept both to prevent chaos in society…" All Might explains. "…and for your sake."

Izuku's lips part as she gasps, her big emerald orbs wide in shock.

 _"_ _Do you understand?"_

"Deku-chan! Earth to Deku-chan!~" Uraraka's singsong voice snaps Izuku from her trance, causing the girl to look up, a bit startled.

Izuku, Uraraka, Asui, and Ashido are all currently sitting in a booth at a fast food restaurant. The three other girls give Izuku worried expressions as the green-haired girl had seemed to be in a daze for a while now. Realizing the situation, heat rises in Izuku's cheeks as she flails. "Wh-what is it, Uraraka-san?"

"Geez…!" Uraraka pouts, "Are you sure nothing is bothering you?" Asui and Ashido seem to lean in on this, all three girls staring at Izuku.

Izuku blinks. _I can't exactly tell them that I'm thinking about what All Might said… especially right after he told me I can't tell anyone…_ Izuku averts her emerald eyes as she lifts her soft drink and sips it. She returns her gaze to the other girls and lifts her hands. "I'm really fine… Now, what were you all talking about?"

Ashido mischievously grins, "We want to hear more about you and _Kacchan_.~"

"Yes, I'm quite curious as well." Asui adds, "What exactly is the relation between you two, Izuku-chan?"

Uraraka joins in cheerfully. "Yeah, yeah! I want to hear the details too!"

"Eh?" Izuku tilts her head as she contemplates what to say. "There really isn't anything much… the two of us are childhood friends, is all."

"Childhood friends?!" Ashido questions, "With _that_ Bakugo! Is that why you call him 'Kacchan'?"

Izuku nods, "Yeah, Kacchan is Kacchan's nickname from when we were little."

"Heh~" Ashido grins, deviously. "Maybe I should call him 'Kacchan' too~"

"Ah—Ashido-san, you shouldn't let Kacchan hear you call him that," Izuku awkwardly laughs, "He doesn't really like it when people do…"

"Hmm…" Uraraka tilts her head. "But, when Deku-chan calls him that he doesn't seem to mind…"

Izuku explains before sipping some more of her cola, "I mean… it's weird calling Kacchan anything but 'Kacchan'."

"Ohh…" Ashido and Uraraka both nod their heads.

"Ahh—there was one time I called Kacchan by his last name in junior high…" Izuku recalls, her new friends lean in as they listen to her story. "And he yelled at me…and told me to don't call him by his last name…"

"Ohh…!" Ashido and Uraraka's eyes sparkle as they both exchange excited expressions.

"Izuku-chan," Asui draws everyone's attention to her.

Izuku smiles at the other green-haired girl, "Yes, Asui-san?"

"Please call me 'Tsuyu-chan'." Asui asserts before continuing to her main topic. "Was Bakugo-chan always so aggressive?"

The freckled girl's lips part as she blinks for a moment. Then, a smile slips across Izuku's lips as she slowly shakes her head no. "He became more aggressive around… elementary school, I believe." Izuku closes her eyes as the soft smile doesn't leave her face. "Kacchan has always been really cool and confident; and, before now, he was always really popular… Even now, Kacchan is really cool!"

"You think rather highly of Bakugo-chan, huh, Izuku-chan?" Asui comments.

Izuku nods and smiles, a small blush on her cheeks. "Mmhm… that's because Kacchan is really amazing!"

"That's true…" Ashido leans back in her chair and sighs. "When we were watching you guys' trial on the screen, all of us couldn't help but admit that Bakugo is really amazing—though his personality is horrible…!"

"Mmhm!" Uraraka agrees with the pink girl with a dramatic nod.

Izuku laughs awkwardly, scratching her cheek. _It's really strange…_

With newfound enthusiasm, Ashido asks, "Hey, what do you girls think of—ahh! My french fry!" The pink girl shrieks as Uraraka laughs and munches on the stolen french fry. "Uraraka!"

 _…_ _to be able to hang out with other girls like this…_

Asui exchanges a muffled grin with Izuku as the two other girls scramble over their french fries.

 _…_ _but I think I can get used to it._

Izuku laughs.

Waking up the next morning, Midoriya wouldn't have thought she would have ended up in a situation like this—however, she did.

For Midoriya Izuku, one of the things that she has always had trouble with is attention.

"Hey, you," a woman approaches the green-haired girl, holding out a microphone. "How are All Might's classes?"

So, when surrounded by a bunch of strangers with notepads and cameras and microphones, Izuku's first instinct is to run.

"Uh, excuse me," Izuku waves her hands as she begins slowly walking away from the crowd and towards the school. "I have to go to the nurse's office!"

"Will you tell us about what the Symbol of Peace is like as a teacher?"

In the case of Uraraka Ochako, the short-haired brunette awkwardly tries to find something to say. "Wh-What he's like?" In a slight panic, Ochako searches for something—anything to say. "Um… ahh…" Raising her arms up as if she is flexing her muscles, Ochako stutters out, "He's very muscular!"

"What do you think of All Might as a teacher?!"

As for Iida Tenya, the over-earnest boy wholeheartedly answers. "He made me recognize anew that I attend an educational institution that is the best of the best. Of course, his dignity and character go without saying, but we students are constantly able to see his humorous side. It is a unique opportunity to learn about being a top hero directly from one."

Unfortunately for the press, the information is very purely a long speech.

"Excuse me! Can you tell me about All Migh—" the female reporter stalks a certain blonde student. "Oh? You're the one who was caught by the sludge villain…"

Then, in the case of Bakugo Katsuki, the irritated young man snaps. "Stop it!"

"Um, about All Might…" exhausted the press approaches a certain teacher with a bad case of dry eye. "Wow, you're scruffy… What's your deal?"

Aizawa Shouta deadpans, "He's not on duty today." Waving his hand, motioning for the reporters to leave, the grumpy teacher warns. "You are disturbing the classes. Please leave." The man then turns around and leaves the crowd at the gate, without giving them another glance.

"I would like to speak directly with All Might—"

"I feel like I've seen him before…"

"Don't you think you're too scruffy?"

 _I can't believe All Might was able to work as a hero with all this._

The news that All Might had been hired as a teacher at U.A. surprised the nation, and the media descended on the school and caused a commotion for days.

However, this has little effect beyond the annoyance of the students and staff of U.A. due to the persistent media and class continues just as scheduled.

"Good work on yesterday's combat training." Aizawa-sensei begins homeroom with a little praise. "I saw the video and the results." The man then turns to his right towards the irritated blonde teen sitting in the front. "Bakugo, you're talented, so don't act like a kid."

Bakugo clenches his teeth as he bares through the lecture and exhales a small sigh once Aizawa is done. Averting his eyes, Katsuki replies reluctantly. "I know."

Midoriya, who sits behind Bakugo, watches her childhood friend with worry evident in her eyes. "And Midoriya," However, as her name is called she flinches and braces herself for the lecture to come.

"You settled it by breaking your arm again, huh?" Aizawa sighs. Midoriya lowers her head as her eyes focus on her hands on her lap. "You can't keep saying you can't help it because you can't control you Quirk." Midoriya clenches her teeth in frustration, knowing her teacher is absolutely correct and she wishes she could gain better control over her powers. "I don't like saying the same thing over and over. As long as you fix the control issue, there's a lot you'll be able to do."

At the encouragement, Izuku lifts her head and smiles. Her jade eyes sparkle and a light blush is evident on her cheeks.

The carrot comes with a whip, however, and Aizawa lectures. "Feel a sense of urgency, Midoriya."

"Yes, sir!" Midoriya responds immediately, determined.

Aizawa then draws the homeroom into the next topic. "Now let's get down to homeroom business. Sorry about the late notice, but today, I'll have you…"

 ** _…_** ** _take another special test?!_** The whole class sweats in anticipation.

"…decide on a class representative." Aizawa declares.

The whole class's tense expressions melt into smiles of relief. **_It's actually a normal school activity!_**

Kirishima is the first to react, raising both his arms in the air. "I want to be class rep! Pick me!"

"Me too!" Kaminari interjects with a raised hand.

Jirou raises her arm next. "I want to do it, too."

"It's a job made for me—" Aoyama tries but he is interrupted once again by Ashido.

Ashido who jumps in front of Aoyama declares. "I'll be the leader!

Midoriya is startled when Mineta, behind her, jumps out of his seat with his eyes bloodshot and dilated and blushes on his cheeks as he claims. "My manifesto is for all girls' skirts to be 30 centimeters above the knee!"

Meanwhile, Bakugo in front of the green-haired girl shouts as he raises his hand straight up. "Let me do it! Me!"

Watching the bombarding of self-promotions around her, Izuku feels like she should make a stand as well and raises her hand up shyly.

In a hero course, becoming class president is a chance that allows one to practice being a top hero by leading a group.

"Silence, please!" Iida's loud and clear voice overcomes the jumbled voices of everyone else, causing everyone to become silent and turn to the standing blue-haired boy. "It is a job with the serious responsibility of leading others. It is not a job for just anyone who wants to do it. It is a calling that requires the trust of those around you. If we want to use democracy to decide on a true leader, then we should hold an election to choose one."

The whole class stares silently as Iida and his rigid straight form with his right hand and arm extended straight up, the boy practically trembling from how straight he is standing. **_Your hand is raised the highest!_**

"Why did you suggest that?" Kaminari asks, astonished.

"We haven't known each other for that long," Asui comments, "So how can we have trust or anything?"

"If that's the case, and everyone votes for themselves…" Kirishima begins to counter.

Iida lowers his hand as he explains. "Don't you think that is precisely why whoever receives multiple votes here can be truly considered the most suitable person?" Iida then turns to Aizawa who had been silent this whole time and is zipping himself up into the yellow sleeping bag. "What do you think, sensei?"

"I don't care, as long as you decide before homeroom is over," Aizawa answers as he falls over onto his back.

"Thank you very much!" Iida bows.

Then, after the suggestion was accepted, class 1-A's class representative vote commenced. Afterward, the class compiled the ballots and ranked each candidate from most votes to least votes.

Midoriya Izuku first blinks when she sees the results. Then, she rubs her eyes to check if she is seeing this. Realizing that she was indeed not seeing an illusion, Izuku shrieks. "I got three votes?!"

"Why Deku?!" Bakugo immediately stands up in fury. "Who voted for her?!"

Sero deadpans, "Well, it's better than voting for you."

"What did you say?!" Bakugo turns his fury on the skinny black-haired teen.

In the back, Uraraka whistles while looking away. _It'll be scary if Bakugo-kun finds out…_

Meanwhile, in front of the brunette, Iida shakes in defeat. _Zero votes…_ The uptight glasses-clad teen mutters, "I knew that would happen… That is only to be expected of a person's calling."

Yaoyorozu sweatdrops, "You voted for someone else, huh?"

"But you wanted to do it, too," Satou comments, exasperated. "What are you trying to do, Iida?"

Thus, this is how Izuku ends up in front of the class. The poor nervous girl who is rather uncomfortable with attention sweats as she faces the class with dilated eyes. Her body trembles behind the podium as she stands beside the composed Yaoyorozu as Aizawa-sensei announces. "Then, the class rep is Midoriya, and the deputy class rep will be Yaoyorozu."

Teeth chattering, Midoriya can only mutter out in disbelief. "S-S-Seriously? Seriously?"

Yaoyorozu takes a glance at the shaking Midoriya before averting her gaze and sighing. "How vexing…"

"That might not be too bad…" Asui comments.

Kirishima joins, "After all is said and done, Midoriya can be pretty fired up, anyway."

"And Yaoyorozu was cool when we were going over the battle results!" adds Sero.

"Woah!" Uraraka exclaims. "There are a lot of people today, too!"

"That's because everyone in the hero course, support course, and management course meets in the same place," Iida explains.

Uraraka takes a big bite of rice and happily munches on it. "The rice is so delicious!"

On the other hand, Midoriya sighs, looking worried as she stares down at her katsudon. "Even though I've been chosen as class rep, I don't know if I'm qualified for it."

After chewing a bit, Uraraka replies. "You are."

"It'll be fine," Iida reassures the worried girl. "Your courage and judgment at critical moments makes you worth following. That is why I voted for you."

 _It was you?_ Izuku blinks, shocked.

"But didn't you want to be class rep, too, Iida-kun?" Uraraka inquires the bluenette. "I mean, you've got glasses and everything."

 _Uraraka-san just talks without thinking…_ Izuku sweatdrops at the comment.

Iida sips his orange juice before answering. "Wanting to do it and being suitable for it are different issues. I merely did what I judged to be correct."

Both Midoriya and Uraraka pause for a moment before reacting simultaneously. " _Merely_?"

"You don't usually use that word…" Izuku comments.

Iida, realizing that he had let himself slip, tries to explain. "Oh, no—that's…"

"I've been thinking for a while…" Uraraka turns and examines Iida's face as she puts down her bowl of rice. "Are you a rich boy, Iida-kun?"

"Rich…" Iida pales at the question. However, seeing as he has been caught, Iida sighs and looks away. "I tried to change how I talk because I didn't want to be called that."

Uraraka and Midoriya both stare at Iida in awe, causing Iida to sigh.

"Yes, my family has been heroes for generations," Iida explains. "I'm the second son."

"What?!" Both girls squeal, "Wow!"

"Do you know the Turbo Hero, Ingenium?" prompts Iida.

"Of course!" Midoriya instantly takes it. The green-haired girl's cheeks flush with excitement as her peridot orbs gleam and sparkle. "He's a really popular hero who has 65 sidekicks working at his Tokyo agency!" Then, a revelation hits her, causing her green eyes to dilate. "Don't tell me…!"

"He is my elder brother!" Iida declares, proud as he stands.

Uraraka exclaims. "He's telling us straight out!"

"That's amazing!" Midoriya squeals.

Iida pushes up his glasses with pride. "He's a likable hero who honors the rules and leads people." Iida talks about his older brother with a bright smile on his face. "I set my sights on being a hero because I want to be like my brother. However, I think it is still too soon for me to lead others." Iida then turns to face Midoriya. "Unlike me, Midoriya-kun realized the point of the practical portion of the entrance exam, so he is more suitable for this job." Confused by the looks of awe coming from the two girls' faces, Iida tilts his head.

Uraraka is the first to speak up. "This might be the first time I've seen you smile, Iida-kun."

"What, really?" Iida blinks in surprise before tilting his head. "I smile!"

Midoriya smiles at the exchange between her two friends. _Ingenium is to Iida, like what All Might is to me._

 _But, I should tell him…_

"About the entrance exam…" Midoriya begins—only to be interrupted when a bell rings throughout the school.

"An alarm?!" All the students in the cafeteria look up in bewildered surprise.

"There has been a Level 3 security breach. All students please evacuate outdoors promptly." A robotic voice announces over the speakers.

"What is 'Level 3 security'?" Immediately, Iida question the boy next to him as the robotic voice continues to announce.

"It means someone is trespassing on school grounds!" the boy answers urgently. "I've never seen anything like this in the three years I've been here!" he rushes out of his seat and begins dashing to the exit. "You should hurry, too!"

In a large school like U.A. and with mostly every student from each class of each year gathered in one area with only one escape route, the ensuing chaos was a disaster. Hundreds of students, all cramped in what was a large hallway but now seems like a small room, are trying to rush to the exit in order to evacuate. The alarm only brings more panic as the words to evacuate echo through the school. Not to mention, with every push and shove, the panic only escalates.

It was like madness.

"Ow!" Uraraka yelps as she continuously gets squeezed and shoved by the people around her. "What's going on all of a sudden?"

"As expected of the best of the best." Nearby, Iida comments with an impressed tone. "Everyone reacts quickly in a crisis!"

"Th-They're so quick that it's causing a panic!" Midoriya shouts as she is painfully being pushed forward and jabbed back—only to shriek when she is actually forcefully shoved enough to lose her footing. "Oh, shoot!"

"Midoriya-kun!"

"Deku-chan!"

Both Iida and Uraraka call out for the green-haired girl as she is swept into the crowd.

Iida maneuvers his way to the side in order to glance out of the glass covered hall to check on what exactly the emergency was. "Who in the world trespassed?" Iida's blue eyes widen as he catches sight of the massive mob of reporters outside, quickly realizing the culprits of the commotion. "That's… the press!"

"I wondered what it was, but it's just the media," Iida states as he continuously gets shoved against the glass. "Everyone, calm dow—ouch!" _Where are the teachers? Are they busy trying to deal with everything?_

Iida looks over his shoulder, spotting two familiar heads of hair: one spiky red and the other a style blonde with a black streak.

"Everyone stop!"

"Slow down! Slow down!"

The two boys try to calm down the stampede, but its no use as no one hears them.

 _Kirishima-kun! Kaminari-kun!_

"What the heck!" Kaminari gasps before both boys are swept away by the rush.

 _Is there anyone here who knows everything's fine?_ Iida glances around the room, however, all he can see is the panic and chaos. _No one has noticed! Everyone's panicking!_

"Uwah!" Uraraka's scream catches Iida's attention.

Iida gasps and hastily turns his attention to his brunette friend. "Uraraka-kun!"

Desperately, Uraraka extends her hand in order to reach for the blue-haired boy. "Iida-kun!"

Iida, determined, begins gliding forward, hugging the glass wall. _What would Midoriya-kun… or my brother… do in this situation?_ An idea flashing in his mind, Iida gasps. "Uraraka-kun!" The bluenette calls out as he extends his arm forward, reaching for the girl.

"Huh?" Confused, Uraraka tilts her head.

"Make me…" Iida groans out as he gets shoved once more. He reaches forward, yelling. "Make me float, Uraraka-kun!"

Realizing what the boy wants, Uraraka gasps and looks at her hand for a moment before extending her own hand.

Iida's hand quivers as he tries to make his hand reachable for the smaller girl. Uraraka desperately reaches out, swiping the air to meet Iida's fingertips. After attempting a second time, Uraraka manages to tap Iida, activating her quirk _Zero Gravity_.

Feeling his body become lighter, Iida jumps into the air. His glasses fall from the bridge of his knows, drifting in the air as Iida focuses his blurry vision forward. _A place in everyone's line of sight…_ Eyeing the exit sign, Iida hastily lifts his pant legs up, letting his engine pop out of his calves.

Determined, Iida shouts. "Engine boost!"

The sudden burst of energy mid-air forces Iida forward, making the boy rotate quickly. Iida flies through the air as he spins in a circle above the mob of panicked students.

"Iida-kun!" Midoriya shouts as she watches the boy fly.

Iida groans as he hits the wall above the exit sign. _Be concise, clear, and bold!_ Iida reaches for the pipe above his head and grabs hold of it as his blue eyes slide to the students below him. "Everyone, everything's fine!" Iida shouts, concisely, clearly, and boldly.

This causes all the students to snap from their panic and to freeze in place.

"It is just the media!" Iida continues his announcement, his legs shaking from the earlier burst. "There is nothing to panic about. Everything's fine!" Iida tilts his head slightly to face the crowd. "This is U.A.! Let us act in a way befitting the best of the best."

Everyone calms down after Iida's speech, all of the students realize that there is no threat at all. Some even look out the glass, pointing out how the police were arriving.

Izuku watches Iida with a smile, proud of the other teen.

 _I have to do it…!_

"Come on, class rep. Start." Yaoyorozu beckons Midoriya.

"N-Now," Midoriya's jade orbs are dilated and her cheeks are flush as she stutters. "Let us decide on the other class officers…" Midoriya's eyes fall as her voice drops. "But first, can I say something?"

"Eh?" Yaoyorozu turns to her fellow class rep.

"I think…" Izuku takes a deep breath before exhaling. Then, she shuts her eyes and shouts. "That Iida Tenya-kun should be the class rep after all!"

Surprised, Iida's breath hitches.

"He was able to get everyone's attention in such a cool way," Izuku admits, freckled cheeks covered in a light blush at her bold statement. She then lifts her head and gives Iida a smile. "I think it would be best for Iida-kun to do it."

Iida's eyebrows rise as his indigo eyes widen and he releases a low gasp.

"I'm good with that, too," Kaminari interjects.

Kirishima joins in, "Midoriya's saying it, and it's true that Iida was a big help at the cafeteria today."

"Yeah, and he kind of looked like the person on the emergency exit signs, didn't he?" Kaminari chuckles.

Iida turns to meet Midoriya's peridot eyes as the green-haired girl nods with a smile.

"You're wasting time." Aizawa deadpans, startling Izuku. "I don't care what you do, just hurry up and do it." After saying his piece, the scruffy man returns to laying down on the floor in his sleeping bag.

Iida stands up from his seat. "If the class rep has nominated me, then it cannot be helped." The bluenette then raises his hand in the air and pledges. "From this day forth, I, Iida Tenya, promise to do my best to carry out the duties of class representative."

"We're counting on you, Emergency Exit!" Kirishima gives the straight-laced teen a thumb up.

"Emergency Exit Iida!"

"Do your best!"

Yaoyorozu deadpans as she slumps forward with a sweat drop. "What about me…?"

Meanwhile, at the front of the school, four figures gaze at the disintegrated metal barrier on the ground in crumbles of debris.

"How were the ordinary members of the press able to do something like this?" A mouse-man questions. Recovery Girl scowls as the other two pro heroes beside her do not move. "Someone instigated this."

"Did someone evil slip in or was it intended to be a declaration of war?"

"For today's hero basic training, it turned into a class with three instructors, All Might and me and one more person," Aizawa announces to the class.

 _"_ _turned into"?_ Izuku tilts her head slightly. _I wonder if it's a special case?_

"Excuse me!" Sero raises his hand, "What'll we be doing?"

Aizawa holds up a cue card with the word 'Rescue' on it in blue. "Disasters, shipwrecks, and everything in between. It's rescue training."

"Rescue…" Kaminari leans back in his chair before turning to Ashido on his right. "Looks like it'll be a lot of work this time, too."

"Right?" Ashido whispers back as she excitedly pumps her fists.

"Idiot," Kirishima leans forward on his desk, arching an eyebrow. " _This_ is the duty of a hero!" He then sits up, enthusiastic. "My arms are ready to rumble!"

"No one can beat me in water, ribbit." Asui asserts, excited as well.

"Hey, I'm not done." Aizawa interrupts the class's enthusiasm. "You can decide if you want to wear your costume or not this time." Aizawa presses a button on the remote in his hand, sending a signal for the costume locker to open. "Because there are probably costumes that limit your abilities, too. The training will take place off-campus, so we're taking a bus." Aizawa closes as he walks away. "That is all. Start getting ready."

Everyone around Izuku gets up and moves towards the locker, leaving the green-haired girl behind in her seat. _Rescue training…_

 _What I've admired…_ Izuku clenches her fist as she builds her resolve. _It's training to get another step closer to being the greatest hero._

 _I'll do my best!_

* * *

 **How was it?**

 **Did you all enjoy the bit of girl time?**

 **I didn't put much yet since the class isn't really that close until AFTER the USJ incident (which happened like 3 days after school started)**

 **Originally, I had planned to do an introduction party but as I was writing I rejected the idea since there wasn't any time in between the arcs to do that! Perhaps I'll do it once USJ arc finishes?**

 **Or maybe not.**

 **But, for sure, I will be doing a couple of side stories before the U.A. Sports Festival arc!**

 **SO if you have any ideas (even if it's really brief) please comment!**

 **I hope you enjoyed the chapter!~**


	8. The First Trial

**Heyya! Finally finished this chapter!**

 **I'm finally heading into more freeform territory! (I'm both excited yet not so excited lol)**

 **In this chapter, I have a few more minor changes and added scenes!**

 **After the USJ arc, I will be going into some side stories before going into the U.A. Sports Festival arc! So if you want to see a certain scene or idea for a chapter than speak up before I finish this arc or forever hold your peace! (not really, there are a couple more opportunities in between the main plot) Please keep in mind that the time during this side story section is around late April to... mid to late May-ish?**

 **Anyways, I hope you enjoy the chapter!**

* * *

Izuku tugs her white gloves, adjusting her costume.

"Huh?" Uraraka approaches Izuku pointing to her appearance, "You're wearing your P.E. clothes. Where's your costume?"

"They got ripped up during the combat training," Izuku explains with a small smile, "So I'm waiting for the support company to fix it."

Unfortunately, after the fight with Katsuki during the Battle Trial, Izuku's costume had been ripped and blown up so the girl had to send it to the support department in order to get it fixed. Izuku felt sad over the fact that she didn't get the chance to wear the costume her mother had gotten for her. Looking down at her P.E. clothes, Izuku's lips fall into a small frown. _Well, there's nothing I can do now… At least Kacchan hadn't blown the base of it…_

A loud whistle snaps the girls' attention towards the bus where Iida stands in front of it. "Class 1-A, gather round!" Iida orders while making chopping gestures. "Form two lines by your student number in order to make boarding the bus go smoothly!"

Uraraka and Izuku stare at the straight-laced boy as he continues to shout commands, both girls sweatdropping. _Iida-kun is going at full throttle…_

"I guess we've gotta go." Uraraka giggles to Izuku, who smiles back. Uraraka skips over to the front of the bus as Izuku follows beside her.

Following directions, Izuku walks to the second line. _I'm number 18… so I should be near the end of the second line…!_ Izuku freezes when she realizes just who she was to stand behind.

"Oi, Deku!" Katsuki's gruff voice snaps the girl out of her trance as he shoves past her. "Stop fucking daydreaming and get in the fucking line!"

Izuku flinches before rushing to follow the blonde. Annoyed, Katsuki's eyebrow twitches and the blonde hastily turns his head to glare at the girl from over his shoulder. "Don't fricking follow me, you shitty nerd!"

 _E-Eh…?!_ Izuku's mouth twitches awkwardly as she sweatdrops. Not wanting to create a fuss, Izuku walks slower in an effort to appease the irritated blonde.

However, seeing the timid green-haired girl stalking behind him nervously only made Katsuki more irritated. A vein pops from his head when he catches the girl look at his back before looking back down at the ground, dilly-dallying as she tiptoes behind him. After the fifth time Izuku attempts the same action, Katsuki twirls around and yells. "Stop being a shitty creepy stalker and hurry 'n get your ass over here, Deku!"

Izuku yelps, jumping slightly at the shout, before rushing over to her spot in line, behind Katsuki. Katsuki huffs before turning back around to face the front of the line. Izuku takes one last glance at Katsuki's head before her emerald eyes lower to his back in front of her.

"Everyone, please enter in a single-file fashion! There's no need to push!" Iida instructs as he motions for the class to enter the bus.

However, once the students actually enter the bus, they realize that Iida's efforts had been in vain. Awkwardly sweatdropping, the other students in the class take a seat upon entering.

Iida is silent once realizing that his assumption had been wrong and does not speak up until the bus had begun moving. "Shoot." Iida groans, depressed. "I didn't think it'd be this type of bus…"

"There was no point, huh?" Ashido laughs beside the distraught boy.

"I always end up saying whatever is on my mind," Asui confesses out of nowhere before the frog-like girl turns to Midoriya who is sitting next to her. "Izuku-chan."

"Uhh—what?!" Midoriya jumps at the sudden call out, heat rushing to her cheeks. "Yes, Asui-san?!"

"Call me 'Tsuyu-chan'." Asui asserts.

Nervous, Midoriya averts her eyes as she nods. "Y-yeah…"

"Your Quirk is like All Might's." The frog-like girl comments.

"Huh?!" Midoriya jolts, her head going into panic mode. "Y-Y-You think so?!" Izuku turns away from the girl as she brainstorms, trying to find a way through this predicament. _Has she figure it out?! What should I do?! What should I do?!_ "But I'm uh…"

Thankfully, for Midoriya, there is no need for her to answer as Kirishima cuts in. "Wait a sec, Tsuyu-chan, All Might doesn't get hurt when he uses his Quirk. They just kind of look the same."

Midoriya sighs in relief. _Thank you… Kirishima-kun…!_

"But, it's nice to have a simple augmenting type Quirk." Kirishima acknowledges as he leans back in his seat. "You can do lots of flashy stuff!" The red-haired boy extends his arm as he activates his quirk, causing the skin of his arm to harden like a rock. "My Hardening is strong against others, but unfortunately, it doesn't look like much."

"I think it's really cool!" Midoriya exclaims, examining Kirishima's Quirk with her sparkly jades. Kirishima glances at the excited girl, a small blush rising at her praise. "It's a Quirk that can definitely pass as a pro's!"

"A pro's, huh?" A little shy, Kirishima brings his arm closer to examine it as he gives his Quirk a small smile. "But you have to think about popularity as a hero, too, you know."

"My Navel Laser is pro-level in both flashiness and strength," Aoyama interjects, proudly.

However, the poor boy is quickly shot down by Ashido, who puts a hand on his shoulder. "But it's not great that it gives you a stomachache." Aoyama's eyes move to the pink girl as his whole face pales.

Izuku smiles awkwardly at her two classmates as Kirishima turns his attention to the side and beams. "Well, if you're talking about flashy and strong, then it's gotta be Todoroki and Bakugo, though, huh?"

At the sound of his name, Katsuki glances over at the group sitting at the center of the bus, his ruby eyes landing on his green-haired childhood friend before he clicks his tongue and turns his head towards the window.

"Bakugo-chan is always mad, so he doesn't seem like he'll be popular, though." Asui comments, causing Izuku to jump as her eyes dilate and move to watch the short-tempered blonde teen.

"What the hell!" Katsuki jumps out of his seat, causing Jirou in the seat beside him to move away, as he angrily shouts. "You wanna fight!"

"See?" Asui points to the furious blonde.

"We haven't known each other that long," Kaminari snarks, "So it's amazing that everyone already knows his personality is crap steeped in sewage."

Katsuki's anger shifts from Asui to Kaminari, causing the angry blonde to snarl at the other cocky blonde teen. "What's with that vocabulary, bastard?! I'll kill you!"

Meanwhile, as the rest are all poking fun out of Bakugo, Izuku drops her head into her hands as she trembles slightly, her eyes wide in astonishment. _Kacchan is being teased…! I can't believe what I'm seeing! That's U.A. for you!_

"What a vulgar conversation." Yaoyorozu glares at the rest of the class as she covers her mouth.

Beside her, Uraraka laughs, "But I like stuff like this, too!"

"We're here!" Aizawa announces at the front of the bus. "Stop messing around."

 **"** **Yes, sir!"**

Upon reaching their training location, the students of class 1-A are in awe of the figure who greets them.

"Everyone, I have been waiting for you." A short man in an astronaut's suit greets the class, with them responding with loud gasps.

"It's Space Hero, Thirteen!" Midoriya gushes, her hands covering her face as she enters into fangirl mode. "The gentlemanly hero who has rescued tons of people from disasters!"

"Oh!" Uraraka joins Midoriya this time, the bubbly brunette cheers. "I love Thirteen!"

"Let's go inside without a delay." Thirteen instructs as he motions towards the large entrance.

"Looking forward to working with you!" most of the students bow in respect for the pro hero.

Class 1-A then follows the rescue pro into the large dome building alongside their grumpy teacher, Aizawa. Upon entering the dome, the kids gasp at the sight. All around the interior of the large dome, there are different areas containing different types of environments. Nearest to them on the left is a destructed city area and on the right is another dome with some dark clouds decorating the blue roof.

"Wow, it looks like Universal Studios Japan!" Kirishima exclaims.

"A shipwreck, a landslide, a fire, a windstorm, et cetera—" Thirteen lists some of the areas in the dome before the pro hero lifts his arms and elaborates. "It is a training ground that I made with different types of accidents and disasters. It's called the 'Unforseen Simulation Joint', or 'USJ' for short!"

 ** _It really is USJ…_**

"Thirteen, where's All Might?" Aizawa-sensei walks over to the astronaut-looking hero. "He was supposed to meet us here."

"About that…" Thirteen walks closer to the scruffy homeroom teacher raising three fingers as he murmurs. "It looks like he did too much hero work on his way to work and ran out of time, so he's resting in the lounge."

"That's the height of irrationality." Aizawa sighs. _Well, we took precautions just in case…_ "It can't be helped. Shall we begin?"

"Let's see… Before we begin, let me say one thing…" Thirteen begins, "Er… or two, or three… or four… five… six… seven…"

 ** _It's increasing…!_** The class all sweatdrop as their mood drops.

"Everyone, I am sure you are aware of my Quirk, _Black Hole_." Thirteen finally starts. "I can suck up anything and turn it to dust."

Midoriya speaks up as Uraraka nods her head madly on the side, "You've been able to use that Quirk to save people from all kinds of disasters, right?"

"Yes, but it is a power that can kill easily." Thirteen admits, causing the class to give him confused looks. "Some of you also have Quirks like that, right? In a superhuman society, personal Quirks have been certified and stringently regulated, so that doesn't seem to be a problem at first glance." Thirteen warns, "However, please do not forget that there are many Quirks that can easily kill with one wrong step. With Aizawa-san's physical fitness test, you found out about the possibility of your own hidden powers, and with All Might's person-to-person combat training, I think you experienced the danger of using those powers against others. This class is a fresh start." Thirteen declares, "You shall learn how to use your Quirks to save people's lives. You do not have powers so you can harm others. I hope you leave here with the understanding that you have powers in order to help others."

 _Thirteen is so cool!_ Izuku's lift into a smile as her eyes sparkle with newly lit determination and resolve.

The astronaut-dressed hero bows. "That is all. Thank you for listening."

"That was wonderful!"

"Bravo! Bravo!"

The class cheers and applauds Thirteen for his speech.

"All right," Aizawa interrupts pointing towards the stairs leading to the field, "Then, first—"

All of a sudden, the light in the dome turn off and the fountain in the center of the plaza turns off and on, letting the water start and stop as the space in front of it distorts. Slowly, the warping space becomes a dark purple as the hole gets larger and larger with every twist.

Sensing the eerie presence, Aizawa pauses, eyes dilating. The scruffy teacher quickly twirls around to the plaza as the warp hole grows larger and distorts into a giant wall. A hand pops out of the distorted space as an ominous presence pulls through it. Seeing the danger, Aizawa hastily turns to his students and orders. "Gather together and don't move!" This causes the students to turn their attention to their homeroom teacher in confusion as Aizawa turns to the other pro hero with him. "Thirteen, protect the students!"

Turning to where Aizawa was glancing at, Kirishima jolts back, startled. "What is that?" The rest of the class turn in sync toward the plaza to see several people leave the warped space.

Kirishima leans forward, putting a hand above his eyes to focus on the people below. "Is this like the entrance exam with the 'lesson has already started' pattern?"

 _Huh?_ Curious, Izuku leans forward a bit to get a closer look—only to jump back when Aizawa shouts. "Don't move!" Confused, Izuku glances at Aizawa. Her breath hitches as she sees the man's serious gaze at the people below and how he puts on the yellow goggles he usually keeps around his neck.

"Those are villains."

All the students gasp at the statement. Izuku sweats as her eyes dilated and her teeth clench in fear.

"Thirteen and Eraser Head, huh?" A deep voice echoes. "The teacher's schedule we received the other day said that All Might was also supposed to be here."

"The trespassing the other day was the work of these scumbags after all, huh?" Aizawa observes.

"Where is he?" The shorter skinny villain by the warp gate mutters. "I went through the trouble of bringing this whole crowd, too…" The man raises his arms. "All Might… The Symbol of Peace… I can't believe he's not here." The man looks up at the children above the staircase as he smirks. "I wonder if he'll come if we kill some kids?"

The student gaze at the scene with mixed emotions: fright—awe—panic. Tremors run through Izuku's body as she watches the approaches horde of villains with large dilated eyes.

"What? Villains?!" Kirishima cannot help but stare at the approaching mob with anymore but disbelief. "There's no way they could get into a hero school!"

"Sensei," Yaoyorozu steps forward, asking. "What about the trespasser sensors?"

"We have them, of course, but…" Thirteen begins as he watches the crowd.

Todoroki adds, "Did they only appear here, or around the whole school? Either way, if the sensors are not responding, that means they have someone with a Quirk that can do that." The half-white-, half-red-haired boy explains. "An isolated area separated from the main campus during a time when a class is supposed to be here. They might be fools, but they're not dumb." The teen concludes, "This surprise attack was carefully planned with some sort of goal in mind."

Todoroki's sound analysis causes his classmates to worry, a slight panic in the back of their minds.

"Thirteen, start the evacuation." Aizawa walks forward, towards the stairs. "Try calling the school. These villains even had something to counteract the sensors. It's possible someone with radio-wave-type powers is interfering." Aizawa turns the Kaminari and orders him, "Kaminari. You try contacting the school with your Quirk, too."

"Yessir." Kaminari nods before immediately attempting the task.

"What about you, sensei?" Midoriya inquires, "Will you fight by yourself?" The green-haired girl is concerned for her teacher. She had studied Eraser Head before and judging by his style of combat, he is at a large disadvantage against such a big group of villains. "With that many, even if you can erase their Quirks… Eraser Head's fighting style is capturing after erasing the enemy's Quirk." Izuku looks down at the ground, "A frontal battle is…"

Aizawa turns his head towards the girl, stating. "You can't be a hero with just one trick." This shocks Izuku into looking up at her teacher. Aizawa gives one last word to his comrade pro hero, "I'm leaving it to you, Thirteen."

Thirteen gives his affirmation with a nod, allowing Aizawa to jump into the battlefield.

With great speed and grace, Aizawa jumps down the stairs and lands on the floor below, pulling his bindings out. The first to challenge the man are three cocky villains who seem to have some sort of long-range quirk; however, just as they are about to use them, Aizawa activates his own quirk, erasing their abilities before grabbing them with his bindings and slamming the three together. He successfully knocks out the trio before throwing them into a pile on the ground behind him. The other villains surrounding Aizawa gasp at his exhibition of prowess, instantly realizing who he was after the little show.

"Idiot, he's Eraser Head! He can erase Quirks just by looking at them!"

"Erase?" A large villain in all black with yellow stripes as accents and four arms covered in some sort of rocky sleeve dashes forward with his fists in the air. "Are you gonna erase the Quirks of heteromorphic-type villains like us, too?"

Aizawa dodges the incoming punches as he replies. "No, I can't." He then punches the man in the face, knocking him away before grabbing him with his bindings. "But the skills of guys like you…" Aizawa bends to dodge an incoming punch from his back. "…are statistically more likely to manifest in close combat…" He then throws the villain in his bindings towards the other villains surrounding him, gathering them all into a pile. "…so I've taken measures against that." Aizawa's long floating hair falls to his shoulder gently as the villains around him watch him cautiously. Taking on the villains, Aizawa executes his advanced hand-to-hand combat skills, weapon, and quirk in order to defeat his foes despite being outnumbered.

However, the mastermind villains only watch in the sidelines, noting on Aizawa's prowess, and once seeing Aizawa's hair fall to his shoulders once again, the warp villain narrows his golden eyes.

Meanwhile, above the large staircase, the class is running towards the exit. Izuku pauses to watch Aizawa-sensei as he takes care of the large horde of villains. "Wow… Aizawa-sensei is actually good at fighting by himself against a lot of people, huh?" She notes.

"This isn't time to analyze!" Iida calls out for Midoriya. "Hurry up and take shelter!" Midoriya, knowing that she can't stay there any longer nods before rushing over to Iida's side. The two rush over to join the rest of the class as they sprint to the exit.

Unbeknownst to the class, a warp gate opens on the floor in front of the exit. When a sudden purple fog seeps from the ground, Thirteen gasps and freezes with the rest of the class following.

"I won't let you." The warp villain's deep voice declares as he spreads out in the air. "Nice to meet you. We are the League of Villains. It may be presumptuous of us, but we have invited ourselves into the home of heroes, U.A. High School, in order to have All Might, the Symbol of Peace take his last breath."

Izuku's emerald orbs dilate as she shakes in her feet. _Huh?_ Izuku pauses, her body stops trembling as she stares up at the foggy villain with wide eyes.

"I believe All Might should have been here. Has there been some kind of change?" The dark purple and black fog man asks. "Well, that is neither here nor there. This is the part I am to play.

Readying himself, Thirteen pops off one of his costume's fingertips, about to use his Quirk, _Black Hole_. However, the pro hero pauses as two youngsters jump forward, charging at the warp villain.

Kirishima and Bakugo charge at the villain, Kirishima using his hardening to strike at the fog and Bakugo swinging forward soon afterward for a consecutive attack, bursting out an explosion.

"Did you consider that you'd get beaten by us before you did it?" Kirishima taunts.

Izuku forces her eyes open through the smoke, blinking her eyes to get used to it only for the girl to realize that something was wrong.

"Oh dear, that was dangerous." The villain mutters as his dark fog reappears, appearing as if the attack had no effect at all. "That's right. Even if you are students., you are excellent golden eggs.

"No!" Thirteen shouts, "Move away, you two!"

"My job is to scatter you all and torture you to death!" The villain declares as he emits his dark fog, swarming it around the students.

"What is that?" Kirishima groans out as he and Bakugo are covered by the fog.

Uraraka, Iida, and Satou are blown out from the fog as several others are covered by it as well. The three students who managed to escape the warp stare at the dark purple fog like distortion, which takes the shape of a huge dome, in shock.

"Everyone…!" Iida screams.

Izuku screams as she is pushed out of a warp gate, high above a large body of water, and is free falling towards it. Hastily, she gulps a big breath before she hits the water painfully. It takes Izuku a moment, adjusting to the water's pressure before she is able to move and, once she is able to, the girl looks around the area first, cautiously. _Wait a moment. Is that his Quirk?_ Deeming that there was no enemy around, Izuku decides that it is safe enough for her to attempt to swim back to the surface, her thoughts still occupied.

 _They want to kill All Might?_

 _What in the world is going on?_

 _What the heck?_

Sensing slight ripples in the water, Izuku pauses only for her to gasp at the sight of an incoming enemy—and a fast one. The villain looked like some sort of fish-man. Izuku tries to swim away fast, but without any superhuman abilities giving her advantage underwater, she is practically like a sitting duck. The villain's large mouth opens wide, revealing an array of sharp teeth. Izuku freezes at the horrifying sight, a shudder running through her skins as she feels herself a moment away from death. On reflex, Izuku shuts her eyes tight and braces for the pain.

However, when it doesn't come, Izuku opens her eyes once again and finds Asui with her feet on the villain and Mineta in her arms. "Izuku-chan!" Asui calls out before she extends her long tongue and wraps it around the other girl. The frog-like girl then uses the villain as a springboard and kicks off of him, giving herself the boost she needs to bring her two classmates to the water's surface.

Once resurfacing, Asui carefully lifts Midoriya into the ship docked in the middle of the lake, dropping the girl onto the boat as gently as she can. As she retracts her tongue, Asui holds Mineta in her other arm, keeping the boy's head above the water so he doesn't drown.

"For a frog…" Mineta mutters, water running out of his mouth. "…your boobs are pretty big." The purple boy slightly nuzzles into Asui's chest, causing the girl to yelp a ribbit.

Instantly, Asui uses her tongue to throw Mineta onto the ship, roughly. Mineta groans as his back his the deck hard. Asui uses her Quirk to climb the side of the boat and is greeted by Midoriya. "Thank you, Asui-san."

"Call me 'Tsuyu-chan'." The frog-like girl retorts as she reaches the boat's edge.

Feeling like she should follow the other girl's request, Midoriya stutters as heat rises to her cheeks. "T-T-T-T-Tsuyu-chan… thank you!" Heat rises in Midoriya's freckled cheeks as the girl wasn't used to referring to others in such a nonformal way—well, besides to her childhood friend, that is.

"Anyway, this has turned into a rather bad situation, though." Asui comments.

Midoriya agrees. "Yeah. What the villain said earlier…" The curly-haired girl's eyebrows furrow as she grimaces. "They knew U.A.'s schedule! Looking at the big picture, those guys must've set up the media intrusion the other day to get information." Izuku analyzes. "They were waiting to pounce, just as Todoroki-kun said."

"But, but…" Mineta interjects, "It's not like they can kill All Might!" The purple-haired boy then motions some punches as he adds. "Once All Might comes, he'll pound these guys!"

"Mineta-chan," Asui interrupts the little boy's display.

"Huh?" Mineta tilts his head.

Asui states, "Don't you think they are trying so hard because they have a way to kill him?" Izuku gasps at the insight. "Guys that strong just told us they would torture us to death, you know." Mineta's eyes dilate as the poor boy gapes. "I wonder if we'll be able to hold out until All Might arrives…" The poor boy begins to sweat and pale as Asui continues. "Even if All Might comes, I wonder if we will all make it out in one piece…"

"M-M-Midoriya!" Panicking, Mineta jumps to Midoriya, hugging the girl's waist. Midoriya, however, is not listening due to contemplating several ideas—however, the girl jolts at the sudden uncomfortable contact on her butt. "Eek!" On reflex, Midoriya shrieks. Asui immediately slaps away the offender with her tongue, causing Mineta to be thrown to the other side of her and leaning over the edge of the boat.

Asui shakes her head at the small boy's antics as Midoriya frets over the boy, not quite realizing what had just happened. "Mineta-kun, are you alright?!"

"Izuku-chan, you shouldn't apologize for that, ribbit." Asui corrects the socially awkward girl.

"What the heck is that?!" Mineta's voice screeches in horror, causing the two girls to quickly look over the edge of the ship as well.

From the water, several villains surface, surrounding the ship. One of the snarls, "You bastard… I'll kill you!"

Mineta shrieks at the sight of the villains. "There's a ton of them!"

 _Those guys have a way to defeat All Might._ As Mineta and Asui watch the villains, Izuku is stuck in thought as she analyzes the situation. _She's probably right about that. I can't think of any other possibility._ Izuku's eyebrows furrow even more as she concentrates harder on her thoughts. _Why do they want to kill him?_

 _Because he's become a person who deters villains and evil?_

 _Because he's the one and only Symbol of Peace?_

Izuku's peridot orbs waver, dilated as she clenches her teeth. _No, I mean…_ Izuku blinks, her emerald eyes becoming more clear and focused.

 _"_ _You can become a hero."_

 _"_ _I don't dislike that!"_

 _Right now, I don't…_

 _"_ _Come, Young Midoriya."_

 _"_ _Congrats on getting accepted."_

 _I don't…_ Izuku clenches her fist.

 _"_ _It's fine now. Why?"_

 _"_ _Because I am here."_

 _I don't need a reason!_

Throwing her clenched fist to her side, Izuku stares at the ground. "If those guys…" Izuku's calm and collected voice draws her classmates' attention. "…have a way to defeat All Might, then right now, we should be stopping whatever they're planning." Izuku raises her head, revealing her jade orbs flaring with determination. "By fighting and winning!"

Meanwhile, in other areas, other students have also determined the same solution Izuku had.

In the landslide area, Todoroki freezes the area and the villains. "It's pathetic to lose against a single child." The half-white-, half-red-haired boy glares at his opponents with his heterochronic eyes. "Get a hold of yourself. You're an adult, aren't you?"

In the collapse zone, Katsuki roars as he makes an explosion on a villain's face, letting the villain drop to the ground with a groan. Kirishima is behind him, watching his back, as the two engage in combat.

In the mountain area, Yaoyorozu creates a staff for herself and a katana for Jirou. The two girls stand firm with Kaminari finishing their circle as the trio are surrounded by villains.

In the fire zone, with flaming buildings all around, Ojiro faces his opponents alone.

In the squall zone, Tokoyami and Kouda stand back-to-back while villains surround them.

On the other hand, down in the plaza, Aizawa continues to fight the villains.

At the entrance, several of the students are still in the area, all standing defensively as they ready themselves for the challenge ahead.

"Shouji-kun," Iida desperately question, "Is everyone here? Can you check?"

The tall teen had already grown ears and eyes on his tentacles, searching for his scattered classmates by the time the class rep had even asked the question. "Everyone's scattered, but they're all in this building."

Shouji's report allows the rest of those left behind to release the breath they were holding. Then, the group of Shouji, Iida, Ashido, Uraraka, Satou, and Sero along with Thirteen focus on the villain in front of them.

"Damn it!" Sero clicks his tongue. "Physical attacks can't hit him and he can warp things… His Quirk is the worst!"

Thirteen looks at the situation objectively before making his decision. "Class rep."

"Yes?" Iida instantly responds.

"I entrust this duty to you." Thirteen begins, "Run to the school and tell them about what is happening here." Iida gasps at the order as Thirteen continues. "The alarms are not sounding, and our phones don't have a signal. The alarm system is based on infrared rays. Even though senpai—no, Eraser Head is erasing people's Quirks left and right, they are still not working, which means they must have someone with an interference Quirk who hid right when they arrived." Thirteen concludes, "It would be faster for you to run than for us to find that person."

"But it would be a disgrace as class rep to leave everyone behind—" Iida begins to argue.

However, the earnest teen is cut off. "Go, Emergency Exit!" Satou yells as he steps forward, getting into a fighting position. "If you can get outside, there are alarms. That's why these guys are only doing this inside, right?"

Sero joins Satou, taking a fighting stance as well. "As long as you go outside, they won't follow you! Blow away this fog with your legs!"

"Use your Quirk in order to save others!" Thirteen steps forward.

Shouji, who is beside Iida, steps forward to join the front lines as well.

"I can totally support you like I did in the cafeteria!" Uraraka encourages her friend as Ashido nods along. "I will! Please, class rep!"

Iida stares at his classmates in awe for a moment, his eyes twinkling before he wills them to focus. A new determination flares to life in Iida Tenya at that moment. Taking on a running pose, Iida allows his engines to pop out from his costume as he readies them.

"Even if you have no other choice," the warp villain comments. "Are there really idiots who talk about their plans in front of the enemy?!" He then extends his fog to attack.

"We did it because it doesn't matter if we're found out!" Thirteen declares as he stretches out his arm, pointing his finger at the black fog as he activates his Quirk and begins sucking in the fog. " _Black Hole_!"

"Uwa—ha!" Mineta shrieks, "What do you mean fight? Are you stupid?!" Tears and snot drip down Mineta's face as he spits out. "These guys might kill All Might, right? You're contradicting yourself, Midoriya!" Tears comically stream out of Mineta's eyes as he awkwardly dances around. "The best plan would be to sit tight and wait for the U.A. heroes to come and save us, of course!"

"Mineta-kun," Midoriya cautiously observes the villains in the water, releasing her analysis. "Those guys down there are clearly assuming we'll fight in the water, right?"

Mineta screams, bewildered, "Are you ignoring me?!"

"Does that mean they knew what was in these facilities before they gathered people?" Asui throws the question in the air.

"Yeah." Midoriya affirms, "For people who gathered that much intel so meticulously, there's something strange." Midoriya starts, "They sent you, Asui-san—"

"Ribbit?" Asui gives Midoriya a look, causing the other girl to blush and fumble.

Izuku's whole face heats up as she goes rigid and trembles, embarrassed that she had made the mistake once again. "I-I mean, Ts-Tsuyu-chan… that they sent you to the shipwreck zone."

Understanding what is on the girl's mind, Asui turns to Midoriya and comforts her. "Your own pace is fine."

"Oh," Immediately, Izuku relaxes, letting out a breath. "Is that right?"

Not being able to stand the suspense, Mineta interjects. "Well, what about it?!"

Realizing she had gone off topic, Midoriya refocuses herself and gets to the point. "This mean, in other words, the villains probably don't know what our Quirks are."

"Ribbit." Asui blinks as the revelation hits her. "That's true…" The frog girl turns her head to look at the dome of the flame zone next to them. "If they knew that I was a frog, then they probably would have thrown me into the fire zone over there."

"They probably separated us because they didn't know our Quirks so they planned to overpower us with numbers." Midoriya analyzes. "We have inferior numbers and less experience. Our only hope lies in the fact that our opponents don't know what our Quirks are!" The curly-haired girl asserts. "The enemy isn't trying to climb the boat. That supports my hypothesis!" She mutters, "But that probably means they aren't underestimating us, either."

"I'll tell you more about my Quirk," Asui confesses. "I can jump high, stick to walls, and stick my tongue out up to about 20 meters. I can also spit out my stomach and wash it, and secrete toxic mucus that actually just stings a little.

 _'_ _Secrete'!...?!_ Mineta freezes, blushing as his imagination goes wild.

Ignoring the boy, Asui continues to explain. "The last two are practically useless, so you can probably forget about them."

Izuku gives the other green-haired girl a look of amazement as she comments. "I already kind of knew, but you're really strong." Izuku looks down at her fist as she explains her own Quirk. "I have super strength, but once I use it, I'm pretty much out of commission. It's like a double-edged sword."

Mineta joins in as well, pulling off one of the purple balls on his head. "My Quirk lets these stick _super_ tight." He then pushes the ball against the wall and lets it go, exhibiting how the purple sphere sticks to the wall. "Depending on how I'm feeling, they can even stick for a whole day." Mineta then bounces his hand on and off of the purple ball stuck on the wall. "They grow back when I pull them off, but if I pull off too many, I'll start bleeding." The boy stops touching the ball, letting it settle in its place on the wall. "They don't stick to me. They just bounce off."

Midoriya and Asui stare at Mineta in anticipation as the purple boy stops talking. The trio falls into a stagnant silence as the two green-haired girls stare at the boy. Tears begin filling Mineta's eyes as his mood drops, feeling how lame he is before he starts bursting out, crying. "Wah! That's why I said we should just wait quietly! My Quirk is totally unfit for battle!"

The sight of the crying boy snaps Midoriya from her daze, causing the timid girl to panic. "Th-That's not it! It's an amazing Quirk, so we should think of a way to use it—"

Abruptly, a large wave of water cuts through the boat, slicing the ship in half. This causes Midoriya to fall to her butt with a shriek.

A villain in the water complains. "I'm getting impatient. Let's end this quickly!"

"What power…" Asui comments in awe, "This ship is broken."

Mineta panics: tears and snot running down the poor frightened boy's face. His panic sends him on a rampage, leading the boy to throw his purple sticky balls into the water.

"You can't give up!" Midoriya shouts as she reaches for the boy.

Feeling useless, Mineta turns to Midoriya with tears still gushing from his eyes.

"What are you doing?" Midoriya panics as well. "The enemy will figure out your Quirk—" Hastily, Midoriya looks over the edge to check the damage; however, the girl is surprised to see the villains are being careful of the purple spheres floating in the water. _They're being cautious and not touching them?_

Midoriya realizes at that moment that this was their chance.

"The boat will sink in less than a minute," A villain comments. "Once they get into the water, we're sure to win."

Hearing this, Mineta back up to the wall, the boy pale and his eyes lost. "That's true…!"

Asui turns to the frightened boy and cannot help but ask. "Mineta-chan, did you really enter U.A. to become a hero?"

"Shut up!" Mineta shrieks. "It's weirder to not be scared right now! We were only in junior high until a little while ago!" Tears and snot once again run down Mineta's face. "Who would've thought that we would be almost killed right after starting school?!" Going mad, Mineta screams his laments. "Agh—I wish I could've at least touched Yaoyorozu's boobs first!"

"When the enemy…" Midoriya's voice snaps Mineta from his madness, clearing the boy's mind for a moment so that he can focus on the girl's speech. "When the enemy becomes certain of their victory, that will be our chance. All Might once said so before on TV."

"What…?" Mineta sobs out. The purple-haired boy gasps as he notices Midoriya's hand is shaking. _Midoriya… is shaking…?_

 _She is scared… too…?_

"This is the only way…" Izuku stares at the water, sweat covering her face and her eyes narrowed in focus. "…to win!" Determined, Izuku turns around to face her two classmates who gasp at her upcoming suggestion.

Meanwhile, in the water, the villains chuckle. "You really must be kids, with all the chirping and screaming."

"Hey, Shigaraki said just don't let down your guard, remember?" Another villain reminds the other, "Don't judge them by their ages. Look at their Quirks. It's common sense, isn't it?" He continues to brag, "Because out Quirks will definitely have an advantage in the water."

All of a sudden, Izuku steps on the edge of boat and roars. _Act like Kacchan…_

"You serious, Midoriya?!" Mineta's cry goes to deaf ears as Izuku jumps off the boat.

The curly-haired girl screams, "Die…!"

A villain laughs, "She's a kid after all."

Izuku extends her left arm, stabilizing it with her right arm which grasps her elbow. _Even if it's a smash, I can't get them all at once if they form a circle. Anyway, even if we get through this shipwreck zone, there are still other enemies._

 _I can't sacrifice my arm!_

Clenching her teeth, Izuku focuses on her left hand. _Imagine… the egg not exploding!_

Izuku's thumb and middle finger glow a bright red as she feels One For All flow through her veins, coursing her fingers with power.

Asui carries Mineta in her arm, giving the boy one last call. "Mineta-chan."

Mineta, on the other hand, cannot take his eyes off Midoriya as she recklessly dives straight for the water. _Even though she's shaking… Even though she's the same as me… Even though she's scared… Why? Why?!_

"Delaware Smash!" Izuku shouts as she flicks her finger, launching One For All's strength through them, causing a hole to rip through the water from the force of the flick.

This causes the water around the whole to swirl as the water tries to balance out the pressure on it. This causes the villains to drift together in a single whirlpool.

Izuku slides her right hand's grasp towards her left-hand wrist as she writhes from the pain. The girl bites back her pain and screams out. "Tsuyu-chan! Mineta-kun!"

The signal sends Asui to jump high in the air, the frog girl extending her tongue to catch Midoriya mid-air.

Mineta clenches his fist as they shake in frustration and fright. _Damn it! What the heck, Midoriya?! Why are you acting so cool?_ Mineta reaches for his hair, screaming out as he continuously throws his Quirk into the water—at the villains. "Even I… Even I can…!"

Mineta's purple spheres cover the water of the whirlpool, surprising and confusing the villains caught inside. However, soon shouts of anguish resound as they realize the capabilities of the Quirk too late.

"I a strong force is applied to water… it'll spread…" Midoriya explains, her face contorting in pain. "…and then converge back in the middle!"

On cue, the villains are sucked into the center, being stuck to each other due to Mineta's purple balls and forming their own large ball. Then, all of a sudden, water bursts from the center, like a geyser, throwing the balled up villains into the air and away from the trio.

"Rounded everyone up at once." Asui notes, "I guess it's like we've cleared the first hurdle."

"You both are amazing!"

* * *

 **How was it?**

 **Did you enjoy the little KatsuDeku scene (well sort of... it was more just them interacting like usual...)?**

 **Did you like the little changes I made? I kind of found Midoriya's reaction to the physical sexual harassment funny. It was a bit hard to place what she would do, but I feel like it would be a more 'what in the world just happened' reaction at first, but slowly as she gets used to Mineta's antics (and becomes more comfortable around her classmates) it would be more retaliative? Perhaps...**

 **Anyways, again, if you have any ideas just comment!**

 **I hope you enjoyed the chapter!**

 **Next: USJ Part 2**


	9. Hope

**FINALLY FINISHED THIS CHAPTER XD**

 **This time it took me longer than expected since my motivation levels are going down... like I love this story so much and what I have planned for it... but the lack of response really gets me down and then I have my attention being drawn to other things...**

 **But, overall, I think this chapter turned out good! It's full of action! And I do have some slight changes, but I don't believe I have much...? Rather I go more in depth into certain character's thoughts.**

 **Anyway, remember that as soon as the USJ arc ends there will be a filler section for side stories! So if you have any ideas then please comment!**

 **Please enjoy the chapter!~**

* * *

In the shipwreck zone, the bundled-up villains screech as they float in the lake and the trio who had defeated them walks to shore in the shallow part of the lake.

"I had a bowel movement this morning, so those things will stick all day." Mineta declares, proudly, as Asui tugs the very short boy along to keep his head above the water's surface.

Midoriya walks alongside them, gently brushing her broken thumb and middle finger as her face contorts in pain. The girl's face is pale as she mutters, "We were lucky that was all of them. I took a huge gamble." The girl continues to mutter, her mouth moving rapidly as her words begin to mush together. "Normally, they would've kept some people underwater in reserve. I was trying to keep my composure, but I couldn't stay calm. This is dangerous. I have to be more careful…"

"Izuku-chan, stop that." Asui interrupts the girls muttering. "It's scary."

"Huh?" Midoriya stops to look at the calm and collected girl in surprise.

"Rather than reflecting back, shouldn't you think about what to do next?" Asui asserts, letting go of Mineta as she deems the water shallow enough for the boy.

Midoriya nods, "Y-You're right…" The girl glances down at her left hand, letting her right-hand press against her broken fingers carefully. Midoriya flinches as pain sears through her.

"Are you alright?" Asui, concerned, asks as Mineta looks over at the curly-haired girl with worry.

"Y-Yeah…!" Midoriya nods, trying to not make her classmates worry anymore about her as she pulls her left elbow pad over her broken hand. "Anyway, we should make getting help our top priority." Midoriya changes the topic as she points across the plaza towards the entrance. "I would be best to follow the shore and avoid the central plaza as we head toward the exit."

Asui agrees, "That's true. Aizawa-sensei has drawn a large number of villains to the plaza.

 _But there are too many enemies…_ Izuku focuses on the plaza, catching sight of an explosion. _Of course, sensei is trying to suppress them all…_ Izuku mutters. "…but I think he overexerted himself by jumping into that crowd of villains to protect us."

Both Asui and Mineta turn to the curly-haired girl with a surprised expression. Mineta sweats, "Wait, Midoriya, don't tell me you…"

Midoriya grunts in affirmation.

"Stupid, stupid, stupid!" Mineta cries out.

Midoriya turns to her two classmates, "I'm not thinking of doing anything that'll get in his way." She then turns her attention to the plaza. "But, if we can just find an opening and lessen Aizawa-sensei's load even a little…"

Meanwhile, in the landslide zone, Todoroki had frozen the lot of villains who came after him in the area. " _Scatter you and kill you,_ huh?" The boy sighs, "I hate to say this, but you just look like guys with Quirks they didn't know what to do with." Stoic, the half-white-, half-red-haired boy approaches the frozen villains.

"Th-This guy… The instant we warped here…" A frozen villain mutters, astonished.

Another questions, "Is he really a kid?"

Someone else groans, "O-Ow…"

Todoroki ignores the hooligans, walking past them with cold eyes as he recalls what the mastermind villain had said in the quad. A foolish villain jumps out of hiding from some large rock formations—only to be instantly frozen by Todoroki as the boy grabs the spear of a villain attacking him from behind and freezes him.

 _…_ _but a closer look shows that the pawns they prepared for us were just a ragtag bunch of thugs._

Glaring at the attacker, Todoroki pulls the frozen spear from the villain's grasp, causing the villain to fall over with a groan.

 _From what I saw, there were only four or five truly dangerous people._

 _If that's the case, then the next step I should take is…_

Todoroki turns his glare towards the villain who was trying to make a surprise attack on him. "Hey, at this rate, your cells will slowly die," Todoroki warns, causing the villains around him to tremble and whimper.

"I want to be a hero." The boy claims as he watches the villain's eyes well up in tears, "I would like to avoid something so cruel if possible." Raising his hand and hovering it over the villains face, Todoroki lets the cold seep through and frost creep out of his hands as he continues to coldly stare at the villain with his heterochronic eyes.

"On what basis do you think you can kill All Might?" Todoroki narrows his eyes.

"What's your plan?"

While Todoroki was questioning the villains with stoic calmness, Kaminari was shrieking for his life in the mountain zone. The blonde teen screams as he dodges an incoming punch from a huge, muscular villain, dashing towards his classmates. "Scary!" Kaminari shouts, "Seriously, did you see that just now? I saw the Styx River, seriously!" The boy stumbles forward, sprinting and dodging the attacks aimed at him in a state of panic. Meanwhile, Yaoyorozu punches a villain with her staff and Jirou hits another with her sword before Kaminari jumps back into formation with Yaoyorozu and Jirou. "What the heck is up with these guys? What's going on?!"

"Worry about that later," Jirou dismisses the boy.

"Right now," Yaoyorozu declares, "We need to figure out how we'll get away from all these people."

The trio is practically up against the mountain wall behind them, surrounded by a huge mob of villains. Kaminari turns to the girls, his eyes wide as he begs. "Then give me a weapon, too!"

"You're the electric guy, aren't you?" Jirou retorts as she turns to focus on a villain. "Hurry up and take care of them!"

"You saw during the combat training, didn't you?" Kaminari screams, "We were paired up!" The blonde teen explains, sweat covering his face. "I can only cover myself with electricity!" He holds up his hand and shows a spark of electricity. "I can discharge electricity, but it's not like I can control it! I'll hit you two, too! It's like, you know, the same as Todoroki!" "Even if we wanted to call for help, there's interference jamming the signal." Holding up a thumb, Kaminari asserts. "Listen, you two. Right now, you can't count on me. I'm counting on _you_!"

"You're a guy, aren't you?" Jirou mutters out, annoyed. "Stop whining." Seeing the macho guy from before coming at him with another punch, Kaminari quickly twirls away from the villain and towards Jirou. The dark-haired girl promptly kicks the boy forward, causing him to scream. "Then, I'll use you as a human stun gun!"

"Seriously, idiot—" Kaminari groans as he lands on the macho man. Moments after touching the villain, the electricity coursing through the blonde flows into the man, causing him to be electrocuted by Kaminari's continuous onslaught of electricity flowing through him. Kaminari blinks, pausing as he listens to the villain scream before turning around to face Jirou. "It's working… I'm strong!" Giving the girl the look of a proud child, Kaminari smiles and raises a thumb up. "You two can count on me!"

"Hey, you're too happy-go-lucky." Jirou deadpans. However, after noticing some movement in her peripheral vision, the dark-haired girl quickly reacts. Using her quirk, _Earphone Jack_ , Jirou plugs the Earphone Jacks into the speakers on her shoes, playing the rapid beating of her heart at a high volume, using the sound pressure to push the villain back and crush the large rock ball in his hand. The sudden collapse of the rock formation, causes the villain's long arm to connect with Kaminari's face, transferring the electricity to the villain's body and electrocuting him as well.

All of a sudden, another villain who holds two knives in his hands screams as he tries to jump Kaminari. However, seeing this, Yaoyorozu quickly creates a net and captures the villain, letting his trapped body fall into the buff villain's arms. Since Kaminari's electricity still runs through the macho villain, it naturally flows through the net and into the villain, successfully electrocuting another villain.

"Both of you should take this more seriously!" Yaoyorozu advises as she holds her staff in a fighting stance.

Jirou apologizes, "Sorry... I thought it was a good idea at the time." The girl then plugs her earphone jack into the speakers on her legs again, amplifying the sound and sicking the sound on the villains. "Kaminari, you should've requested something to help you aim in your costume order!"

Hearing the sound of something falling through the air above her, Jirou hastily jumps back as the villain swipes at her with his two swords. Yaoyorozu punches the villain in the gut, pushing him away from her classmate. "Done!"

"Huh?" Jirou blinks at the other girl as she bends forward.

"It takes some time…" A bulge comes out of Yaoyorozu's back as pink glittering light covers it and pops out in the form a huge sheet, covering both her and Jirou. "…to create something big."

The villains surrounding the two girls stare at the large sheet in confusion and chatter.

"A sheet?"

"Is it supposed to be a shield?"

Yaoyorozu lifts the sheet up slightly to give Kaminari a small smirk. "It's an insulation sheet 100 millimeters thick. Kaminari-san,"

Blood drips down Kaminari's nose as the blonde smirks. "I see." Glaring at the villains around the area with his arms raised in the air. Visibly, yellow electricity runs through his arms, building up power as Kaminari shouts. "In that case, I can be really strong!" The blonde throws his arms down, releasing the electricity into the ground and towards every villain in the area. The electrocution causes the villains to scream.

Once the electricity fades, the villains are all standing and twitching, too burnt out to move. Sensing that the boy has finished, Yaoyorozu lifts the sheets up and checks out the situation. "Now then, I am worried about the others."

"Wait, your clothes got super punk!" Jirou deadpans as she points out Yaoyorozu's ripped costume.

Turning to her classmate, Yaoyorozu smile. "I can make them again!"

 _Violent growth…_ Jirou stares at Yaoyorozu's large boobs for a moment before averting her eyes with a slight blush. As she moves her attention away from the ponytail girl, Jirou spots her blonde boy classmate wandering around. Instantly realizing the situation, Jirou shouts. "Kaminari, don't look this way!" However, the boy doesn't even pause at her voice, causing Jirou to arch a brow at how weird the other teen was acting. "Huh?"

It takes Kaminari turning around to face the area where the girls are and pushing two thumbs up for Jirou to realize what had happened. "Uwehh…!~" Jirou can't hold back her laugh when she sees the other boy's stupid face. Kaminari was devoid of emotion beyond his mouth open in a smile and his eyes so dilated that he looks idiotic. Jirou exits the sheet first to examine Kaminari's over-capacity state, trying to hold back her laughter. Yaoyorozu exits soon after her, redressed in an identical hero suit to what she was wearing earlier.

Unknown to the trio, a hand pops out from the dirt a few meters behind them.

"Hey, Midoriya, we're just here to see how things are going, okay?" Mineta insists.

Asui agrees with a "Ribbit."

"I know," Midoriya whispers as she and her two classmates raise their heads out of the water to peer over the shore of the lake. "We'll run away the instant it seems dangerous."

Aizawa punches a villain, knocking him out before jumping over two other ones, letting his bindings drag on the floor before he snaps it up with a flick of his wrist. The bindings snag the two men from behind, dragging them as Aizawa flies through the air and swings down towards the caught villains. Drop kicking the two, Aizawa lands with his long hair falling to his shoulders. Seeing the mastermind villain charging at him, Aizawa throws his bindings at the approaching man. "The last boss, huh."

The light blue-haired villain with a detached hand on his face grabs the binding with his right hand as he continues to charge at Aizawa who, in turn, charges as well. Once the villain is in a close enough range, the Erasure Hero tugs on his binding, causing the villain to be dragged forward. With great strength, Aizawa elbows the villain in the gut.

Seeing the successful blow, the three students all gasp in joy. However, Asui notices something is off, causing the frog-like girl to tilt her head. "Ribbit?"

Though Aizawa had hit the man, what he had hit was the villain's own hand, buffering the full force of the attack. _Damn._ Aizawa's hair falls as he struggles to get his elbow away from the villain.

"It's hard to see because you keep moving around," The villain leans in towards Aizawa, whispering. "But there's an instant when your hair falls."

Aizawa's bloodshot eyes widen.

"That's when you've finished an action." The villain continues.

The cloth on Aizawa turns to stone, and the man grits his teeth as he feels his own skin get petrified from under the villain's touch. "And the space in between has gotten shorter and shorter."

Realizing what is happening, both green-haired girls' breath hitches, their eyes wide as they watch their teacher getting hurt by the villain.

"Don't push yourself, Eraser Head." The villain laughs as the skin under his grasp begins to crack away.

Izuku gasps, her jade orbs dilating. _Sensei!_

As soon as he can, Aizawa reactivates his quirk, stopping his arm from petrifying beyond repair before whacking the villain away with his other arm and retreating. _My elbow's crumbling!_ Aizawa turns in time to see a villain try to punch him from behind, hastily he ducks under the large guy to dodge before kicking him away. He then maneuvers around, dodging the incoming attacks from the ragtag villains. Aizawa pants heavily as he tries to keep his eyes open.

"That Quirk isn't suited for fighting long fights against a large group, is it?" the mastermind villain analyzes as he gets back on his feet. "Isn't this too different from your usual job? What you're good at is a short fight after a surprise attack, right?" Aizawa glares at the villain as he tries to catch his breath. "Even so, you jumped right in to fight us from the front. Was that to put your students at ease?"

Unable to keep his Quirk up any longer, Aizawa blinks, letting his long hair fall. A loud scream causes the man to look behind him, catching sight of a villain charging at him with a large claw. Without wasting any more time, Aizawa nimbly dodges before launching his bindings to grab the villain. Eraser Head then proceeds to use the villain as a shield against a punch thrown at him and uses it to hit the other villain. He then kicks another villain away, hyperventilating before grabbing the bindings around his neck once again and twirling around to face the mastermind villain.

"You're so cool…" The villain praises the teacher, twistedly. "You're so cool…!"

"By the way hero…" The villain's voice lowers as Aizawa senses an ominous presence behind him. The exhausted hero hastily twirls around only for his eyes to widen at the huge dark blue monster standing behind him. "…I'm not the last boss."

The monster draws back its arm before slamming its fist forward into Aizawa.

Crimson red liquid flies in the air.

Izuku's emerald eyes dilated as the girl steps forward, her whole body tremoring as she barely breathes out.

"Aizawa-sensei…!"

Meanwhile, past the central plaza and up the stairs, Thirteen is still fighting the warp villain by trying to suck the man's fog into his Quirk, _Black Hole_.

" _Black Hole_ , which sucks up everything and turns it all to dust." The warp villain analyzes before praising the pro hero. "I see. That is an astounding Quirk. However, Thirteen, you are a hero who works to rescue people from disasters." The fog-like villain narrows his golden eyes. "As expected, your battle experience is less than half of that of a normal hero."

All of a sudden, space distorts from behind Thirteen and starts sucking Thirteen in. "Uwah!" The eyes of the students behind Thirteen all widen as they realize just what is happening. "A warp gate!" Thirteen exclaims.

The warp villain laughs moments before the back of Thirteen's costume starts crumbling into dust and be sucked into the warp gate.

The warp villain is using the warp gate to turn Thirteen's Quirk against him.

"You turned yourself into dust." The villain smirks.

The students gasp, as they watch, frozen in fear at the events. As quickly as he can, Thirteen deactivates his Quirk; however, he was unable to escape unscathed. "H-He got me…"

"Sensei!" Ashido's eyes with its black sclera and golden irises contort in fear as she screams.

Satou flinches for a moment before turning to his right to the frozen class rep. "Iida, run!" This snaps the blue-haired boy from his shocked trance, making Iida look at the burly Satou. "Hurry!"

Iida opens his mouth to reject the idea. _I can't just leave them behin—!_

 _"_ _Use your Quirk in order to save others!"_ Thirteen's words ring in the class rep's mind.

Iida closes his mouth, clenching his teeth. _No—there's no other way._

 _I must save them!_ Iida twists his focus to the exit—the large doors beyond the villain with focused indigo orbs. _I have to escape and call for help!_

The engines in his calves ignite as Iida dashes forward, passing the villain, screaming. "Damn it…!"

 _One of the children who was not scattered…_ The villain turns, following the sprinting student with his 'head' before its twists in space. _We are only waiting for All Might._

A distortion begins to form in front of Iida, causing the boy to gasp—but he can't stop. His legs won't make it in time.

 _If the other teachers are called here, it will be hard for us._ The distortion grows, spinning into another warp gate.

 _Everyone…_ Iida tries turning his foot in order to form a break of sorts, but it is in vain as he can't help but inch closer and closer to the distortion. _…was entrusted… to me!_

 _The whole class…_

Iida grits his teeth as his eyes narrow into a glare.

 _I will…_

Suddenly, the warp gate in front of Iida disappears from his sight as Shouji jumps in, hugging the warp gate with his large and wide, wing-like arms. The tall, stoic boy traps the warp gate, not allowing it to suck the class representative into its abyss. "Go!" Shouji screams as he takes the warp gates and rolls across the floor. "Hurry!"

Hastily turning his foot, Iida once again launches off the floor, dashing forward with all his might towards the huge exit. _Everyone, wait for me!_

"You impertinent—" Annoyed, the warp villain stretches his head out in order to grab the running boy. This causes Uraraka to turn away from the fallen Thirteen and look at the villain, noticing a small detail she had not noticed prior. "I will not allow you to go outside!"

 _An automatic door! Should I kick it down?_ Iida's mind races, unable to hear what is happening around him as adrenaline rushes through him, pushing him forward. _Is it a thickness I_ _ **can**_ _kick down?_

"You're impudent, four-eyes." A deep voice coming from behind him causes Iida to shiver and look behind him. Despite catching site of the villain right on his tail, Iida continues to move, his body not responding to the fear sirens running through his mind. "Begone!" The villain shouts as he looms over the dashing boy, swooping down on him and surrounding him with his dark fog.

Iida shuts his eyes tight but continues to run—even through the fog.

 _Everyone…!_

Rewinding to a few minutes before Iida's mad dash, in the collapse zone, several explosions burst out of the fourth floor of an abandoned building.

"Die…!" Katsuki screams as he shoves his left hand forward and ignites another explosion, causing two villains to be blown away and crash into the wall with enough force to leave imprints.

Kirishima counters a strike from a katana that a villain wields with his hardening quirk, fighting back the villain's weapon with his hardened hand. The red-haired boy manages to strike the blade out of the villain's hand before the boy knocks him in the head.

Both boys pant from slight fatigue as they had been battling a great number of villains all at once for quite some time. Bakugo is the first to catch his breath as he scans the room, checking for any other villains that could be hiding in wait to launch a sneak attack. "Is this all of them? They're so weak."

"All right." Kirishima turns around to face Bakugo. "Let's hurry up and go save the others!" The red-haired boy deactivates his quirk as he explains. "If we're here, then everyone else should be inside USJ, too." He then looks down at his hand and clenches his fist. "I'm worried about the guys with less offensive ability."

Kirishima looks down at the ground, his eyes falling in guilt. "Besides, because we ran off ahead, we slowed Thirteen-sensei down." The red-haired boy squeezes his eye shut. "If Thirteen-sensei had been able to suck up that fog, then this wouldn't have happened!" Passionately, Kirishima turns to Bakugo, who gives the boy a wide-eyed look of disbelief, as he declares. "As men, we have to take responsibility for what we did!"

Katsuki turns away from the idiotic redhead, holding back a sigh as he retorts. "If you want to go, then go by yourself." Crimson eyes focused, Katsuki declares. "I'm gonna kill that warp gate."

"Huh?!" Kirishima gives Bakugo a dumbfounded look before glaring at the blonde. "You're gonna act childish at a time like this? Besides, that guy's attacks are—"

Katsuki scowls even more as irritation bubbles in his blood. He can't help but feel like something is very _wrong_ —but Katsuki pushes the feeling to the back of his mind in order to focus on the situation at hand. "Shut up!"

 _This guy doesn't get it…!_

"That gate bastard is the enemy's way in and out," Katsuki explains, holding back his frustration over the other boy's lack of thought. "I'm gonna cut off their getaway route for when the time comes." Katsuki feels the presence of something approaching behind him before he hears the light tapping of feet and the sudden pounce from the ground. "It's not like we don't have a way to fight the fog." Just as the invisible villain tries to cut him, Katsuki grabs him by the head and pushes him into the ground before igniting an explosion. "Anyway, if these small fries are the ones assigned to us," Katsuki lifts the villain up, revealing a chameleon face fellow. "Pretty much everyone'll be fine, right?"

After years of having Izuku follow behind him, Katsuki has grown a rather sharp sense of presences lurking behind him. Of course, he would never admit it was because he was conscious of the girl or anything of the sort—but after years of having the girl follow his back, any other feeling is bound to catch his attention.

Kirishima gazes at Bakugo in amazement. _His reaction time was amazing…_ "Anyway, were you always so calm and rational?" Kirishima sweatdrops. The redhead's face contorts as he pulls out the image of Bakugo he had had in his mind the whole time since class has started. "I thought you were more like—"

"I'm always calm and rational, you spiky-haired punk!" Katsuki snaps, glaring and shouting at the redhead.

"Oh yeah," Kirishima points the blonde, "That's more like it."

"Keh!" Bakugo scoffs as he throws the chameleon bastard aside. "Then go if you want to!" He shouts at Kirishima before beginning to walk away.

"Wait, wait!" Kirishima stops Bakugo. "Believing in our friends! That's real manly, Bakugo!" Kirishima raises his fists, hardening both arms, and smashes them together, letting a loud clinking sound echo through the ruined room. "I'll follow you!"

Meanwhile, in the fire zone, three villains in the burning area gather at a street corner. "Damn it! He's too fast!" one exclaims as the trio searches left and right to find their target before scattering to cover more ground.

The villain which went on his own is taken by surprise from a sudden chop to his neck, knocking the villain out. Ojiro had swung by his tail in order to make a decisive blow to the villain. However, the cry from the villain he had knocked out had alarmed other villains. "I see 'im! Over there!"

Collectively, Ojiro uses his tail to swing from the pole to the rooftops, allowing him to dash and jump through the burning city area. _First, I need to make sure I'm not caught by the enemy._

While Ojiro is fending for himself, Kouda cowers away as some villains charge at him screaming. "I found you!"

However, before the villains are able to jump the poor, shy boy, a shadow claw slams them into a wall. Tokoyami draws back his shadow as he comments, "That makes six." The usually more antisocial boy raises a thumb up to his comrade who returns the gesture.

The raven looking boy looks up at the squall zone's dark sky, "If we can just reduce enemy numbers little by little until help comes…"

Iida shuts his eyes as the fog surrounds him, not stopping even though fear laces his mind.

All of a sudden, the heavy feeling around Iida is lifted as the warp villain is lifted into the air. Iida's eyes widen as he watches the fog disappear, and he turns his head to see the reason why. Uraraka is grasping a metal collar like thing back with the villain's main body. The brunette mutters, "I don't know the theory behind it, but if he's wearing somethin' like this, then it must mean he has a physical body." Uraraka shouts as she throws the metal accessory into the air along with the villain, making it weightless with her Quirk. "Go, Iida-kun!"

"My body! Oh no!" The villain screeches as he continues to float in the air.

Iida finally reaches the door and jabs his fingers between the cracks of it. With all of his strength, Iida pries the door open slowly.

"However—" the villain doesn't give up and dives in his fog-like form towards Iida.

Sero hastily reacts, hollering. "I won't let you!" Using his tape Quirk, he sticks the tape from his elbow to the metal accessory of the villain before pulling the villain back. Satou quickly joins Sero, holding onto the boy's tape and using his own strength to pull the villain back.

As Iida manages to open the door wider, Sero snaps the tape, allowing Satou to take control over the villain's body. The muscular Satou uses his great strength to swing the villain around in a circle before flinging him away, screaming. "Go…!"

Iida squeezes through the opening he has made in the door, escaping the USJ. "Engine… boost!" Iida shouts as he fires up his engine once again and dashes straight for the school. _Everyone… wait for me!_

 _He's going to call for support._ The floating warp villain narrows his golden eyes. _It's game over._

On the other hand, the mastermind villain laughs as he watches Aizawa be crushed by the blue monster with a bird's head, a large brain bursting out and a rather muscular human body. "I'll tell you, Eraser Head." The mastermind villain grins, "He's the anti-symbol of Peace, the bioengineered _Nomu_."

The Nomu opens its mouth, revealing its stone-like teeth as it releases an inhuman screech.

In the water, Midoriya and Mineta gape, their eyes widening in fear as Asui's whole face goes blank.

 _Aizawa-sensei… No…!_

The Nomu continues to break Aizawa's body from twisting his arms to breaking them entirely. Aizawa cannot control the scream he lets out at the feeling of his body being broken as he is left to the amusement of the monster called "Nomu".

"You can erase Quirks. That's wonderful, but it's nothing impressive." The mastermind villain comments, "In the face of overwhelming power, you might as well be Quirkless."

Not willing to give up, Aizawa turns his head and activates his Quirk on the Nomu—only for his shoulder to be smashed by its bare hands. Aizawa cries out in pain.

 _It's like he's breaking a twig…_ Aizawa shakes, underneath the monster in pain as he continues to bleed out in multiple places. _I'm sure I erased his Quirk. That means he is just that strong._ The Nomu grabs Aizawa's head, lifting the mangled man in the air, causing him to release a groan. _He's as strong as All Might…_

The Nomu slams Aizawa into the floor once again, causing an indent the size of the man's face in the ground.

"M-M-Midoriya, I can't take it anymore." Mineta cries, covering his mouth with his hands as tears threaten to fall from the purple-haired boy's eyes. "I'm sure you must be having second thoughts, right?"

"Ribbit…" Even Asui lets out a subdued croak as she bubbles in the water.

However, Izuku cannot respond. The girl with curly green hair is frozen in fear, her teeth clenched tight and her eyebrows furrowed.

Suddenly, beside the mastermind, the warp villain appears to report to the villain. "Shigaraki Tomura,"

"Kurogiri," the villain by the name 'Shigaraki Tomura' turns to the warp villain supposedly called 'Kurogiri'. "Did you kill Thirteen?"

"I put Thirteen out of action, but there were students that I was unable to disperse," Kurogiri reports. "and one of them was able to run away."

"Huh?" Shigaraki Tomura turns to the other villain and stares at him for a moment before sighing out loud. The light blue-haired man reaches for his neck, scratching it in frustration with one hand before his other hand also joins. The mastermind shakes, "Kurogiri, you… If you weren't a warp gate, I would've crushed you to pieces."

Abruptly, Shigaraki Tomura stops scratching his neck. "We can't win against dozens of pros. It's game over." The villain complains, "Ahh—man, it's game over this time." He then turns to Kurogiri. "Let's go home."

Mineta gulps at the scene as Asui and Midoriya watch the villains cautiously. The purple-haired boy gasps. "They're going home?" He then turns to his two classmates. "Did he say they're going home?"

"That's what I heard," Asui affirms.

Mineta stares for a moment before tears well up in his eyes once again. The boy then turns to his side and hugs Asui, the girl catching him as she is still in awe at the turnaround. "All right! We're saved!" gushes the purple-haired boy in a hush whisper tone.

"Yes, but…" Asui begins before she feels the boy slightly squeeze her boob. Blanking out for a moment, Asui shoves Mineta underwater as she comments. "I have a bad feeling about this, Izuku-chan."

"Yeah." Izuku nods. She has the same feeling as Asui. "For them to simply retreat after doing all this…"

 _Don't they want to kill All Might?_

 _If they leave like this, U.A. will just beef up their security._

 _"_ _Game Over"?_

Izuku cannot help but continue to cautiously stare at the villain, her body tense and fear evident in her emerald orbs.

 _What's going on? What are those guys planning?_

"Oh, yeah." Shigaraki Tomura speaks up as if remembering something. "Before we leave," The light blue-haired villain turns around to give the three students in the lake a crazy stare. "Let's smash some of his pride as the Symbol of Peace!"

It happened in a flash.

At first, Shigaraki Tomura is far from Izuku, all the way across the central plaza near the fountain—and then he is _there._ The light blue-haired villain slides in front her, his left-hand outstretching—reaching for Asui.

Several images flash in Izuku's mind at that moment.

Shigaraki Tomura's hand reaching for Asui.

The cracking of Aizawa's flesh under the palm of that very same hand.

The hand getting closer and closer to Asui.

The crumbling of Asui—her classmate, her new friend.

Shigaraki Tomura's palm only an inch away from Asui's face.

The **death** of her friend—Asui.

Izuku's dilated emerald irises tremor.

Then, Shigaraki Tomura freezes, his hand only an inch from Asui's face. "Damn it." He clicks his tongue. "You really are cool… Eraser Head."

From the center of the plaza, Aizawa glares at the villain assaulting his students—his bloodshot eyes glowing crimson as blood runs down his own face. Aizawa is then slammed into the ground several times by the Nomu still holding him.

 _Crap._

 _Crap, crap, crap, CRAP!_

Midoriya Izuku's body moves on its own, the curly-haired girl jumping out of the water and proceeding towards the light blue-haired villain.

 _He clearly is different from our earlier opponents._

One For All courses through Izuku's arm without the girl consciously thinking of it. All that is running through Izuku's mind is this.

 _I've gotta save Asui-san and run away!_

"Let go of her!" Izuku snarls, her jade eyes dilated madly as she pulls her right arm back. Bright red glistens in her arm, showing the power is pumping, and Izuku punches forward. " **Smash…!** "

The power of Izuku's punch causes the wind around her target to thicken as the pressure and force from it causes the waves of the lake to burst. The wind pressure from her punch is even felt by the villains still in the park, blowing them away, and the lights around the dome break on impact.

Izuku hyperventilates as she tries to catch her breath. Quickly realizing that she doesn't feel the usual pain, Izuku glances down at her arm. _My bone is not broken! I'm finally able to control my power at a time like this?!_

 _I did it! I was finally able to control my smash! All right—!_ Izuku looks up with a smile only for it to immediately drop.

Her smash did not connect with the face of Shigaraki Tomura as she had intended it to, instead, it is connected to the abs of the Nomu. Izuku's peridot orbs dilate. _When in the world…_ Izuku's eyes then trace to the area of impact, finding no sort of sign of damage at all. _Wait, it didn't… hurt him…?_ Trembling, Izuku withdraws her fist in shock.

 _"_ _Don't you think they are trying so hard because they have a way to kill him?"_

 _No way…_

"You move well. Your 'Smash'—" From behind the Nomu, Shigaraki Tomura comments. "Are you a follower of All Might's?" The villain shrugs, "Oh well. I'm done with you."

Izuku gasps as she watches the Nomu's eyes focus on her, a chill running down her spine. Izuku's screams at herself to run in her mind and she tries to escape; however, the Nomu grabs her arm with one hand, locking her in place, before stretching it's other hand and readying it to swing.

Hastily, Asui throws Mineta off so she can focus on Izuku, stretching out her tongue in order to grab the other green-haired girl. "Ribbit!"

The Nomu's hand swings down as it pulls Izuku closer to it, ready to crush the small girl who is too frozen in fear to struggle against the great strength. Meanwhile, Shigaraki Tomura stretches out his hands again, one aiming at the cowering Mineta and the other on the focused Asui.

As the villains' hands inch closer to their desired targets, a sudden boom and crash cause them to freeze before attacking the students and turn their attention to the entrance.

From the loud commotion, a single man enters.

Ashido and Uraraka's eyes fill with tears as they catch sight of the familiar muscular-till-bulging torso.

Shouji gives relieved smiles as the tall boy relaxes at the sight of the larger man's familiar strong back.

Satou and Sero both smile as the familiar man takes a powerful step forward.

"It's fine, now." All Might appears from the cloud of smoke, his teeth bared. "Why?"

 **"** **I am here!"**

"All Might!" Mineta's tears gush out as the small boy hollers in joy and relief.

"Ribbit…" Asui releases a relieved croak as she carries Izuku in her tongue, away from the blue monster.

Izuku stares at the figure who had just appeared. "All… Might…" She mutters out, out of breath and shaking.

 _He isn't smiling._

* * *

 **So, how was it?**

 **I know there aren't many changes, especially in this chapter, beyond the placement of certain events chronologically and stuff like that.**

 **I hope you liked the little (very slight) acknowledgment from Bakugo about Midoriya!**

 **Anyways, remember to comment if you have ideas!**

 **Overall, I hope you enjoyed the chapter!**


	10. All Might

**Finally finished with this chapter! I just want to say thank you to Mochi_chan on AO3 for your kind comment! It really helped motivate me through this chapter!**

 **So, again, not many changes (though there are some that I especially love) :3**

 **Also, don't forget that I'm looking for side stories! So, please send in your ideas in the comments!**

 **Anyways, I hope you enjoy the chapter!**

* * *

At first, hope had welled in the students as they collectively succeeded over the brief exchange with the villains. The hope dissipated just as quickly as it came as the villains got the upper hand once again, covering the students with the horrid feelings of despair in the darkness they brought over them.

However, with darkness comes light.

 _The deeper the darkness, the more dazzling the light shines._

 **"** **All Might!"**

Bursting through the entrance, a large muscular man enters the room, his bright golden hair shining like a beacon.

"I had a bad feeling, so I tore myself away from my chat with the principal and came." All Might explains. In the sidelines, Ashido cries out loud, sobbing, as Uraraka's own chocolate orbs swell up in tears. Satou, Sero, and Shouji stare as All Might passes by them with smiles on their faces. "I passed Young Iida on my way and got a rough idea of what had happened." The hero's mouth stretches in a scowl as he clenches his teeth. _Good grief, it really makes me angry._

 _Thinking about how frightening it must have been for the children…_

And how hard my juniors fought…

But that is why I must proudly say—

With a powerful step, All Might stops just shy of the staircase leading to the central plaza below. "It's fine." The man reaches for the tie around his neck, loosening it before ripping it off. "I am here!"

"All Might!" Mineta cheers, tears bursting from his eyes.

"Ribbit…" Asui releases a small relieved croak as she pulls Midoriya with her tongue.

Izuku stares at the figure of her idol—All Might—with wide emerald eyes as she mutters. "All… Might…"

 _He's not smiling…_

"I've been waiting, hero." Shigaraki Tomura stands up and turns to face All Might as he laughs. "You trash of society."

"That's All Might…?" One of the ragtag villains still in the plaza questions, staring at the daunting figure of the muscular man as he throws his yellow blazer to the side.

"It's my first time seeing him in person!" Another villain exclaims, fear in his tone.

"He looks so intimidating…"

"Idiots, don't hesitate!" One of the villains shouts at the others. "If we kill that, we'll—" The villain groans as he is suddenly struck down. Following him, several other villains are knocked out in a flash as All Might picks up Aizawa from the ground.

Carrying his junior in his arms, All Might glances at Aizawa's wincing bloody face and fatal injuries. "Sorry, Aizawa-kun." He then turns around towards where the light blue-haired villain and his pet Nomu stand, his dark eyes shining a brilliant cyan.

Izuku doesn't realize what happened until she is placed on her feet in the center of the plaza. The girl's brain races as she tries to put together the events.

"Huh?" Mineta's breath hitches as he tilts his head, eyes wide and blank. "Huh?! What?!"

Seeing the injured Aizawa-sensei on the floor before her, Izuku is finally able to grasp what had just happened.

All Might had saved them—grabbing the trio in a flash while hitting Shigaraki Tomura in the back of his head before bringing the trio and Aizawa to the center of the plaza.

"Everyone, go to the entrance." All Might orders from his place, kneeling on the ground. "I'm leaving Aizawa-kun to you." All Might rises to his feet. "He's unconscious, hurry!"

"Y-Yes, sir!" Mineta and Asui hastily pick up Aizawa, trying to get the man off the ground so they wouldn't have to drag him.

Izuku, however, can only focus on her mentor with large worried eyes. "All Might…" There was a great sense of unease lurking in her gut, tugging at her conscious.

"It's no good… It's no good…" Shigaraki Tomura mutters as he covers his face with his hand. The hand which had been on his face had fallen off with All Might's blow. The villain staggers around, looking for the missing hand and once he finds it, he picks it up and rearranges it on his head. "I-I'm sorry, Father…" Once he has the hand attached to his face again, Shigaraki Tomura exhales a held breath. "He hit me as he was saving them." The villain chuckles sarcastically. "It's the violence of a government official. He's fast, as expected. I can't follow him with my eyes. But not as fast as I thought he'd be. I guess it's true, after all…" Shigaraki Tomura's lips twitch up into a wide smile as his scarlet red eyes focus on the Symbol of Peace. "…that he's getting weaker."

Izuku picks up Aizawa, letting the taller man rest on her shoulders as she glances at him with concern. _That villain from earlier had blocked my punch like it was nothing…_ The girl then makes up her mind and turns to All Might, warning him. "All Might, you can't—" _–fight alone…!_ "That brain villain took One Fo—" Izuku catches herself, glancing at her two classmates for a split second before continuing. "—my punch. He took a punch that didn't break my arm, but he didn't even twitch! He's gotta be—"

All Might stops the girl by extending his hand out. "Young Midoriya!" He then turns around, flashing a reassuring smile as he holds a peace sign by his face. "It's fine!"

Izuku's peridot eyes widen as she meets that smile—that reassuring smile. Yet, for some reason, the usual bubbly hopeful feeling didn't rise in her chest like it would have usually. The girl lowers her head scowling before glancing at the fatally injured teacher on her back. _Aizawa-sensei can't stay here any longer, he needs medical attention…_

Turning around toward the entrance, Izuku begins to carry Aizawa along, with Mineta carrying Aizawa's feet to prevent the man from being dragged and Asui handling the injured man's dangling arm.

All Might watches as his students leave, carrying their poor injured teacher away. He then turns to glare at the hand-decorated villain before charging at him with his arms crossed. "Carolina…"

"Nomu," Shigaraki Tomura mutters. On cue, the buff blue monster rushes in front of the leader, blocking the incoming attack.

"…Smash!" All Might's attack causes the water in the lake in front of him to split and splash outward like a huge wave. Despite taking a hit of what should have been a large impact, the Nomu stands tall looking as if the attack didn't do any damage at all.

The monster's eyes creepily focus on All Might as it snarls. All of a sudden, the Nomu snaps its arms forward, swinging to grasp All Might's head. However, in a swift movement, All Might dodges that assault, the buff man leaning back and bending his knees. "It seriously has no effect at all, huh?!" All Might groans before punching the villain in the stomach.

The Nomu doesn't flinch at all from the punch, however, and only continues to attack All Might, leading the macho man to dodge. "In that case—" All Might shouts as he winds his fist back before punching the creature in the face several times.

The Nomu screeches before it swats at All Might, causing the No. 1 Hero to jump back. "It doesn't work on his face, either, huh?" All Might proceeds to punch the monster, trying to find some sort of weakness in its defense.

"It doesn't work because of shock absorption." Shigaraki Tomura reveals from the sidelines. "In order to cause damage to Nomu, it would be most effective to slowly gouge out his flesh." The villain laughs, "Whether he'd let you do that or not is a different issue, though."

"Keh," All Might clicks his tongue before dashing to behind the larger villain. "Thanks for telling me all that!" He then wraps his arms around the Nomu's waist. "If that's true, then it's easier for me." Pushing his strength into his arms and legs, All Might grips the Nomu harder as he lifts the larger enemy up into the air and over his head before crashing it down into the ground with a huge burst of pressure around him.

"All right!" Satou cheers from the entrance, "Take that!"

"W-Wow…" Sero exhales the breath he was holding in awe at the display of power.

"Those guys are underestimating All Might too much!" Satou exclaims.

Uraraka and Ashido exchange relieved smiles.

Meanwhile, the trio escorting Aizawa to the entrance turn their heads towards the fight at the sound of the explosion. "How did he make a suplex look like an explosion?!" Mineta questions in awe. "All Might's really on a whole nother level!"

"Even though he's a rookie teacher who can't teach without looking at his notes." Asui comments, scratching her cheek.

Izuku is silent while her classmates banter over the fight, staring at the scene with unnerving worry. She couldn't exactly explain it, but she had a really bad feeling about all of this. _It's possible they have a way to kill him…_ The girl looks away and continues to walk. _Even so, there's nothing we can do right now._

 _Instead, if anyone gets held hostage, we'd be worse than in the way. Rather than wondering about the villains, we have to trust All Might!_

"Get 'em!" Mineta screams, "Aim for the balls!"

"Were we overthinking it?" Asui wonders out loud. "He's amazing!"

 _But…_ Izuku's lips stretch into a frown. _But I know…!_

 _Every day on my way to school, I read the hero news in real time._

 _When they were talking about how All Might wasn't at USJ, the three fingers Thirteen-sensei put up secretly were probably…_

 _…_ _because All Might was at his limit._ Izuku pauses in her step. _It must've been because he'd used too much of his power!_

"Midoriya?" Mineta asks as he stops, noticing how the curly-haired girl stopped moving.

 _I'm the only one who knows…_

Asui tilts her head. "Izuku-chan, what's wrong?"

 _"_ _Right now, I can only work as a hero for about three hours a day."_

 _I'm the only one who knows—_

 _All Might's secret…_

"Asui-san, please take my place in carrying Aizawa-sensei!" Izuku hastily turns to the other green-haired girl, desperately.

 _…_ _and the predicament he's in._

Once the fog clears, it reveals All Might bent over, holding the Nomu in a suplex position. "Is…" All Might groans, his voice quivering. "Is that how it is?"

There is a warp on the ground below All Might where the Nomu had landed and another beneath All Might's arched back. The Nomu's dark blue fingers are in All Might's sides, digging into his flesh and drawing blood from their strong grip.

"We're you trying to keep him from moving by sticking him deep in the concrete?" Shigaraki Tomura laughs. "You won't be able to stop him like that. Because Nomu is as strong as you are." All Might glares at the villains as the light blue-haired villain turns to his foggy companion. "This is good, Kurogiri. It's an unexpected opportunity."

Narrowing his golden eyes, Kurogiri shrinks the portals as the Nomu digs its fingers deeper into All Might's stomach.

 _Ouch! That's my weak spot!_ All Might grits his teeth. _Stop it!_ He then releases the Nomu's body and focuses on prying its fingers off of him. _What power…!_ However, All Might is unable to pry the Nomu's hands as the creature lived up to the claim of having as much power as All Might. "This is your first offense? You'd better prepare yourselves…"

Shigaraki Tomura sighs before reaching up to scratch his neck. "Kurogiri."

"I do not want blood and guts overflowing within me," Kurogiri taunts. "But, I would be happy to take in someone as great as you." Kurogiri begins sucking the Nomu and All Might into his warp gate. "You are too fast to see with the human eye. Restraining you was Nomu's job." The warp villain explains, "And then, when your body is halfway in, to close the gate and tear you apart is my job."

All Might scowls at the villain.

Once Aizawa is mounted onto Asui's back and Mineta has the injured man's legs in his arms again, Izuku twirls around towards the battlefield.

 _No…!_

The girl with curly green hair rushes off, leaving her two classmates behind with confusion.

"Midoriya!" Mineta calls out but it goes to deaf ears.

 _No… All Might…!_

Izuku runs, desperately—tears rolling out of her eyes and floating in the air as she runs. The little tied up ends of her curly hair bounce with every step she takes.

 _There are still tons of things I want you to teach me!_

 **"** **ALL MIGHT!"**

Hearing the familiar scream, All Might tilts his head and catches sight of his green-haired disciple. _Young Midoriya?_

The girl with her curly green hair riding in the wind continues to dash towards the imprisoned man, tears escaping her eyes.

 _Someone like you is…!_

Izuku screams as she jumps forward, extending her arm out to reach All Might.

Also noticing the approaching girl, Kurogiri fazes over in front of All Might. _How foolish._ The warp gate blocking the girl from the Symbol of Peace.

Izuku's jade eyes widen and dilate as she moves in slow motion—her body gradually falling towards the distortion. Her mouth is wide open, her eyes filled with tears and desperation as she realizes that she won't make it.

That's when there is a tug on the back of her collar—pulling Izuku away before an explosion ignites before her eyes.

"Move! You're in the way, Deku!" Katsuki screams, snapping the girl from her trance as she skids onto the ground.

It takes Izuku a moment to realize what had just happened but when she does, she gasps. _Kacchan!_

Katsuki had pulled Izuku out of the warp gate's grasp, throwing her aside before using his other hand to explode the villain. Then, the boy grabs the metal accessory of the villain and slams it into the ground. "Take that!"

On the other hand, ice spreads over a section of the floor, crawling up the Nomu's feet before freezing the Nomu's right side. Swiftly, the freezing spreads over the Nomu's legs and torso, through the warp gate and to the Nomu's wrist, engulfing half of its limbs in ice. _He's frozen?_ All Might notes the monster's grip loosening as his eyes draw to the source of the ice. Todoroki stands a few meters away, his right foot above the frozen floor. _Young Todoroki?!_

"All I heard was that you all are here to kill All Might," Todoroki announces his presence.

 _He controlled it so that the ice stopped just before it reached me._ All Might grabs onto the Nomu's hands on his waist. _Thanks to that, his grip loosened!_ The pro hero then proceeds to pry the monster's grip off of him and then jumps away to Todoroki's side.

Izuku gasps as she turns to All Might with tears brimming her eyes. "All Might!"

Kirishima jumps in screaming as he chops his hardened hand down at Shigaraki Tomura, only for the villain to dodge. "Huh?" Kirishima looks around confused for a moment before jumping back. "Damn it! I didn't get to show off!"

Meanwhile, Katsuki is grinning evilly at the warp villain he has restrained to the ground. "Stop acting so stuck-up, foggy nobody!" His crimson glare is more mad than usual.

"The Symbol of Peace cannot be killed by the likes of you." Todoroki declares.

Izuku's eyes water as she looks from her childhood friends to her classmates. "Kacchan…! Everyone…!" Feeling the tears start to fall, Izuku hastily rubs them out with the back of her hand. The green-haired girl then brings herself to glare at the enemy's leader.

As the four students entered the battle zone, Asui and Mineta pause to watch for a moment.

"Todoroki… Bakugo…" Mineta mutters with tears in his eyes.

"And Kirishima-chan too…" Asui adds. Noticing slight movement coming from the unconscious Aizawa, Asui gasps before turning back to Mineta. "Leave this to them. Let's hurry!"

"R-Right!" Mineta agrees before the two begin carefully walking towards the entrance.

Meanwhile, Uraraka watches the battle from above the stairs, letting out a relieved smile. "Everyone…" Her eyes then catch sight of a moving figure and upon recognition, Uraraka points them out to the rest of the group. "Wait, isn't that Tsuyu-chan?!" This causes the rest of the class to turn their attention to where the brunette was pointing as Uraraka raises her arms and yells. "Hey! Hey!"

"Ochako-chan?" Asui questions.

Mineta yells, "Hey, help us out! He's heavy!"

"Aizawa-sensei?!" Uraraka yelps in shock.

Satou shouts. "Let's go!" The group at the top move to help their two classmates at the bottom with their injured teacher.

"L-Leave this to All Might…" Thirteen's voice causes Ashido to turn her attention to the injured pro hero she is watching over. "When the other teachers get here, get to a safe place…"

"O-Okay!" Ashido affirms.

Back at the battlefield, Shigaraki Tomura stands as his two accomplices are restrained. The light blue-haired villain turns to the warp gate. "Kurogiri, our exit and entrance, has been overcome." He watches the blonde boy with his hand on Kurogiri's metal collar, restraining the warp villain. "We're in a pinch."

Katsuki smirks, taunting. "You, careless bastard. You're just what I thought you'd be." His eyes glare down at the villain, wide and wild, like a predatory beast's. "Only certain parts of you can turn into a misty warp gate. The fog gate covered your actual body, right?" Katsuki applies more pressure on the metal as his crimson eyes contort in anger. "Back then… If you were completely made of mist and physical attacks couldn't touch you, then you wouldn't have said 'that was close'."

Kurogiri narrows his golden eyes before he tries to escape—however, the man freezes as he feels the slight pain of little explosions going off on his metal plate.

"Don't move!" Katsuki shouts at the villain. He leans into the villain and threatens, "If I feel like you're moving suspiciously, then I'll blow you up."

The image of Izuku falling into the distortion still lingers in Katsuki's mind. _Especially after what you tried earlier…!_

"His behavior isn't very hero-like…" Kirishima deadpans from behind Bakugo.

"In addition to capturing them, they're almost all uninjured." Shigaraki Tomura states, praising sarcastically. "Kids these days are amazing. They make the League of Villains look bad." The light blue-haired villain turns to his frozen partner. "Nomu."

On cue, the creature's torso begins disappearing within the warp and come out from the other gate by its feet as the monster bends back. However, just as he makes it through the portal, the frozen half of his body shatters, his cells dying. Nonetheless, the Nomu tries to stand up on its feet once again, as if it could not feel the pain of losing two limbs. After stumbling for a moment, the Nomu pauses and refocuses its eyes at the kids.

Izuku steps back with a shocked gasp. "Even though his body's broken… he's still moving?"

All Might motions for his students to retreat. "Get back, everyone!"

The ice on the Nomu's body breaks off before new muscle replaces the lost body mass in mear seconds. Rapidly, the Nomu's right arm and leg regrows from massive muscle and nerves to its dark blue skin.

"What?" All Might stands up, holding his bleeding side. "His Quirk wasn't shock absorption?"

Shigaraki Tomura laughs, "I didn't say that was _all_ he had." The villain reveals. "This is his super-regeneration. Nomu has been modified to take you at 100%. He's a super-efficient human sandbag."

Feeling the threat of the regrown Nomu, Izuku, Todoroki, and Kirishima stand on their guard while Bakugo focuses on the hostage.

"First," the light blue-haired villains smirks. "We need to get our gate back." This statement causes the students to all gasp. "Go, Nomu."

All Might quickly twirls his whole body towards the monster, able to see the Nomu charge at his student. _He's fast!_ The No. 1 Hero knew that no matter how talented his student was, he wouldn't be able to dodge—not to mention _see_ —the attack coming.

As soon as the Nomu slams his fist forward, an explosion bursts and smoke covers the area as something crashes into the wall. The force coming from the impact is so strong that it blows away the three standing students.

"Ow…" Izuku winces in pain as she opens her eyes—only to realize who had been attacked. The green-haired girl's face contorts in despair as she sees the smoke clears and only the Nomu and the warp villain are there.

 _No…!_

Tears brim her emerald eyes as they dilate; she stands up and screams.

 **"** **K-KACCHAN!"**

Noticing a familiar ash-blonde head beside her, Izuku hastily twirls around, finding Katsuki on the ground looking at where he just was with a dumbfounded stare.

"Kacchan?!" The girl cries upon realizing that Katsuki was fine—next to her and _alive_. In a spur of emotions, Izuku dives into the boy just as the other turn to check on the boy's presence themselves. "Thank goodness, you're okay…!"

Katsuki is still frozen on the floor despite Izuku's sudden hug. He could feel the girl's warm tears against his bare shoulder which she nuzzles into as she sobs. Despite this, Katsuki does not make an effort to shake the girl off or yell out her—instead, allowing Izuku into his space.

"Bakugo, you dodged?" Bewildered, Kirishima exclaims. "That's amazing!"

"No, shut up, trash." Katsuki retorts; the blonde could still feel the mild tremor in his hand from the near-death experience. _I couldn't… see anything…!_ He then tangles his hand in Izuku's soft locks, letting his fingers linger in the comforting texture for a moment before pushing the girl away. "And stop snotting all over me, Deku."

"Then how…?" Kirishima questions as he stands up while Izuku wipes her tears and also climbs to her feet.

Revelation hitting him, Todoroki whips his head to the wall where something—or more like _someone_ —else had crashed during the explosion. "Then, that was…"

As the smoke clears from the area around the broken stone fence, All Might is revealed. The Symbol of Peace stands firm in front of the crumbled wall, his arms in front of his head defensively as he coughs.

At the sight of her idol, Izuku jumps up along with Katsuki as she shouts. "All Might!"

"He protected the child, huh?" Shigaraki Tomura mutters as he narrows his scarlet eyes.

All Might pants, catching his breath before he focuses on the villains. "Do you not know how to hold back?"

"It was to rescue my companions." Shigaraki Tomura sarcastically explains as he walks up to the Nomu's side. "I had no choice. Besides, earlier, that…" He tilts his head to eye Izuku as he points to the girl. "…that girl over there."

Izuku's breath hitches when the villain's mad gaze is on her, sweat rolling down her cheek. Katsuki's own crimson orbs slide over to eye his childhood friend, catching her unease.

"She was about to punch me with everything she had, you know." Shigaraki Tomura continues, "Violence for the sake of others makes it admirable. Isn't that right, hero?"

All Might scowls deeper, gritting his teeth harder.

"You know what, All Might? I'm angry." Shigaraki Tomura declares, "I'm angry at this world that categorizes the same violent acts as heroic or villainous, deciding what's good and what's bad!" The villain sneers, "What _Symbol of Peace'_?! Hah? You're just a device to repress violence." He continues his speech, "Violence only breeds violence. The world will know this once we kill you!"

"That's preposterous." All Might mutters. "The eyes of white-collar criminals like you burn silently. You just want to enjoy this yourself, don't you, you liar?"

Shigaraki Tomura's dilated scarlet eyes scrunch up. _He's already figured me out?_

Todoroki lowers his head, glaring at the villain, as he comments. "It's three against five."

Izuku nods as she raises her fists. "Kacchan already exposed the fog's weakness!"

"These guys are crazy, but if we backup All Might," Kirishima agrees as he hardens his hands, "We can push them back!"

"No!" All Might's stern and clear voice echoes as he steps forward. The muscular man extends his arm, "Run away."

Todoroki turns back to the villains, readying his right arm. "You would've been in trouble if I hadn't done anything earlier, right?"

"What was a different story, Young Todoroki." All Might claims, "Thanks."

Those words cause Todoroki to turn to All Might in surprise.

"But it's fine!" All Might clenches his extended hand into a fist. "Just watch as a pro gives it everything he's got."

"All Might, you're bleeding…" Izuku insists, worried over the older man. "Besides, time is—" The girl catches herself before she can go too far, gasping and averting her gaze to her classmates to check their reactions. Since the others don't seem to notice, Izuku's jade orbs return to All Might.

All Might gives Izuku a big smile as he raises a thumb up.

The smile makes Izuku close her part lips as she focuses on the injured pro hero. _All Might…_

All Might then turns his attention back to the villains just as Shigaraki Tomura orders, "Nomu, Kurogiri. Get him." The Nomu rises as the mastermind villain continues. "I'll deal with the children."

All Might clenches his other fist as he bulks up his chest in an inhale. _It's true that I barely have a minute left. My power has been declining faster than I expected._

"Now, let's clear this and go home." Shigaraki Tomura declares before sprinting forward.

 _But I must do this._ All Might steps forward, bringing his fists up.

"Hey, we've gotta do this after all!" Kirishima exclaims at the sight of the hand-decorated villain approaching them.

 _Why? Because I am…_ All Might's smile twists into a frown.

 _...the Symbol of Peace!_

Shigaraki Tomura gasps at the great pressure All Might exerts right before he kicks off the ground, heading straight for the villain. Reacting to the danger, Nomu charges past his master and straight towards the approaching muscular hero. The two powerful muscular figures collide with a heavy punch which creates shockwaves from its great power.

Villain and hero alike are thrown back by the pressure.

"Damn. Hey, you talked about his shock absorption yourself earlier, didn't you?" Shigaraki Tomura taunts as he lands several meters away.

"Yes, I did!" All Might shouts as he draws back his arms before punching the Nomu. The two continue in a massive fist fight; both side unwilling to surrender as their fists clash—shockwaves radiating from each collision.

Izuku grunts under the pressure—nearly flying away from the great pressure. If it weren't for the quick grasp of Katsuki's hand on her arm, the girl would have blown away with the continuing blasts of force. Katsuki pulls Izuku closer to him as to anchor the girl to the ground and prevent her from going flying in the air. He then claws at the ground to keep his place on the ground as Izuku brings her left arm in front of her face to block the wind. "A head-on fistfight?" Izuku grunts out as her hair tie flies off and her curly green hair flows in the wind.

"W-Wow…!" Kirishima manages to grunt out as he falls onto his back from the force.

Meanwhile, Kurogiri steps back to stand by his companion. "I-I can't get near them!"

"If you Quirk isn't shock _nullification_ but shock _absorption_ ," All Might roars as he continues to punch the blue creature, the ground caves into millions of pieces at their impacts. "Then there's a limit to it, right?" The Nomu manages to land a blow to All Might's injury, causing the Symbol of Peace to wince. However, All Might quickly bounces back. _Made to fight me?_

"If you can withstand me at 100%..." All Might begins pushing the Nomu back with his punches.

Shigaraki Tomura's scarlet orbs dilate as he gasps.

"Then I'll force you to surrender from beyond that!" roars All Might as his punches increase speed. The Nomu starts being unable to keep up—being hit more and more by All Might's extremely fast and powerful fists.

 _He's bleeding while giving it his all…!_ Izuku analyzes with her lips parted. _He's not swinging randomly._

 _Every single hit…_

Izuku's emerald orbs widen.

 _…_ _is more than 100% of his power!_

With a battle cry, All Might lands another punch, throwing the Nomu through the forest, knocking down a row of trees in the process.

Shigaraki Tomura's scarlet orbs narrow.

All Might dashes through the forest and jumps. _A hero…_ The Nomu recovers and jumps towards All Might. All Might punches and kicks the villain with great speed. _…can always break out of a tough spot!_

The Nomu slides across the floor after All Might threw him away and the monster jumps up to attack the pro hero. However, All Might grabs the assaulting arm and swings the Nomu in the air as he himself swings in the air before slamming the monster into the ground from high up in the air.

Having the shockwaves stop, Katsuki releases Izuku's arm as his own lips part agape along with the others as they watch the intense battle. Izuku stands up as she follows All Might.

Just as the Nomu's body floats in the air from the earlier impact, All Might lands on the ground. "Hey villain, have you ever heard these words?" Pumping a great amount of One For All in his fist, All Might shouts. "Go beyond! Plus…!" All Might punches the Nomu in the stomach. "Ultra!"

The punch sends the Nomu flying at a great speed—not allowing the creature to recover as it flies through the air from the power of the punch. The Nomu crashes into the USJ's lights and dome-shaped roof.

The impact is so powerful that others throughout the dome could feel it as well.

In the squall zone, Kouda looks around in confusion as Tokoyami voices, "Wh-What's this vibration?"

In the fire zone, after knocking out a villain with his tail, Ojiro questions. "An explosion?"

The Nomu exits the USJ, flying through the air and into the sky with great force.

At the entrance, the remaining students are helping their injured teachers and pause as they stare at the ceiling. Sero, who is carrying one of Thirteen's sides, questions in shock. "That was a villain up there just now, wasn't it?"

"Y-Yeah…" Satou answers from Thirteen's other side.

"This power is…" Shouji, who is carrying Aizawa on his back, comments.

Mineta's eyes grow big as he mutters. "It's All Might!" The small purple-haired boy exclaims with tears in his eyes. "There's no one else who can do something so amazing!"

"Ribbit, ribbit." Asui smiles as Mineta and the other cheer in the background.

Ashido and Uraraka exchange smiles.

Staring up at the large hole in the ceiling, where light peeks through from the outside world, Kirishima mutters in awe. "Is this a comic book or something?" The redhead, Bakugo, Todoroki, and Midoriya look at the large hole in awe. "It's like he nullified the shock absorption. His brute strength is crazy."

"What insane power…" Bakugo grimaces, "Does this mean he rushed at him so fast he couldn't regenerate?"

"So this is the top…" Todoroki mutters.

Katsuki's ruby orbs shake, dilated, as he gapes. _Is this… the world of pros…?_

Izuku releases a strained breath before she turns to All Might in worry. "All Might…"

"As I thought, I really have gotten weaker…" All Might pants out. "In my prime, five hits would've been enough." The golden blonde-haired man stands up straight as he turns his attention to his students and laughs. "But it took more than 300 hits."

Izuku exhales a breath of relief as tears brim her eyes once again and a smile lifts on her face.

 _And now…_ All Might can feel his transformation slowly dissolving. _I'm out of time…_

All Might takes a step to turn his large muscular body towards the two remaining villains, causing Shigaraki Tomura to gasp. "Now, villains…"

"I'm sure we'd all like to end this as soon as possible."

* * *

 **How was it?**

 **Did you like the mild KatsuDeku scenes?**

 **I honestly wanted to have Katsuki grab Deku by the shoulder and pull her into his chest XD But I knew that would be pushing it :**

 **So I settled for this! XD**

 **Anyway, please remember that I am looking for ideas and please comment if you have any (even if it just is a random thought)!**

 **I hope you enjoyed the chapter!~**


	11. In Each of Our Hearts

**Yay! I finished another chapter! XD**

 **This chapter wraps up the USJ arc and up next will be a little filler before the Sports Festival Arc! XD**

 **If you have any ideas of what I can put in this filler, please comment!**

 **Anyway, I hope you enjoy the chapter!**

* * *

"Now, villains…" All Might takes a pivot step in the villains' direction. "I'm sure we'd all like to end this as soon as possible."

 _Weaker?_

Staring at the daunting figure in front of him, Shigaraki Tomura can't help but tremble.

 _No way._

The Symbol of Peace stands before him, smiling.

 _We've been completely overwhelmed._

The hole in which the Nomu had created through the roof with the impact of All Might's punch lets light seep through it.

 _I can't believe he did that to my Nomu…_

The light highlights All Might's golden hair and confident smile as he stands tall and proud. Shigaraki Tomura tremors.

 _Did he use a cheat?!_

Meanwhile, in the mountain zone, the trio of Yaoyorozu, Jirou and Kaminari are in a pinch.

"Hands up." A villain in a skeleton mask orders. "No Quirks allowed. If you use your Quirks, I'll kill this guy." The villain lifts the over-capacitied Kaminari in his hand, hanging the blonde by his jacket.

"Kaminari-san!" Yaoyorozu mutters in lament.

Jirou clenches her teeth. "He got us. We let our guard down completely. An ambush after they made us think we got all of them." Around the field, several villains lay on the ground unconscious as the two girls watch the large villain with Kaminari in hand. "I can't believe we didn't predict this."

The villain clicks his tongue. "I don't wanna kill someone who's an electric-type, like me, but I guess it can't be helped, huh?" He then extends his free hand letting sparks fly from his hand. Kaminari's idiotic face contorts in fear at the life-threatening sparks of electricity being emitted by the villain.

At the display, both girls drop their battle stances and raise their hands in the air. "An electric type…" Yaoyorozu analyzes. "He was probably the one Todoroki-san said was jamming communications."

"Heh," The villain chuckles as he begins approaching the girls with his free hand still emitting lighting. "I'm going over there. Don't move a muscle."

Jirou looks down at her earphone jack, dangling by her chest, before lifting her head to speak up. "Electric-types like you and Kaminari are born winners, right?"

"Huh?" The villain pauses in his walk.

"What are you—" Yaoyorozu starts, only to be cut off.

"I mean, even if you aren't a hero, there are a ton of jobs you could do." Jirou sarcastically taunts, "You're in great demand, right?" Carefully, to avoid notice, Jirou moves her right earphone jack behind her head and lets it extend down to her legs. "No—It's just an innocent thought." Yaoyorozu's breath hitches as she catches sight of Jirou's earphone jack, realizing what the other girls' plan is. "I'm just wondering, why is someone like you a villain?"

 _I see. Jiro-san can attack without moving as long as she gets her plug in._ Yaoyorozu turns her attention back on to the villain.

Jirou tilts her head as she taunts. "It's fine if you don't want to answer." Her earphone jack has finally reached the plugin for the speakers on her shoes—and just as Jirou is about to insert it, the villain holds his electrically charged hand near Kaminari's face.

"Give it up." The villain asserts as tears run down Kaminari's idiotic face. The poor boy can't help but stare at the electricity in fear; even his idiotic mind could understand what it could do to him. "Did you think I wouldn't notice?"

Jirou clicks her tongue as she retracts her earphone jack.

"A kid's naïve thinking only works on dumb adults." The villain laughs. "Novice heroes shouldn't make light of hostages. If you two don't put up a fight, I'll let this idiot go." The villain opens his palm, letting more electricity spark out of it.

Kaminari sweats as he looks at the girls with tears and drool running down his face. "Uwehh…"

"Khh!" Jirou grits her teeth.

"Someone else's life,"

Yaoyorozu clicks her tongue.

"Or your own,"

The villain laughs as he approaches the two girls, the lone boy in his hand. "Now. Don't move."

While Jirou, Yaoyorozu, and Kaminari face the troublesome electric-type Quirk villain, at the central plaza, the villains rather than the heroes are having trouble.

Shigaraki Tomura scratches at his neck anxiously. _Hey, what's going on?_

 _He's not any weaker at all._

 _Did that guy lie to me?!_

"What's wrong?" All Might questions, causing the villain to stop scratching at his neck and to flinch. "You're not coming? You said you'd 'clear' this or something, right?" His flowing cyan eyes narrow into a glare as his voice lowers in tone. "Come and get me if you can."

All Might's confidence sends Shigaraki Tomura in a panic. The villain steps back, practically wailing as he shakes uncontrollably in fear.

"All Might…" Bakugo mutters, watching his idol's strong figure.

"As expected, it looks like there is no need for us to fight." Todoroki comments.

"Midoriya!" Kirishima calls for the girl. "We should get out of her now!"

However, the words go past Izuku as she notices something is off—her lips parting as her mouth falls agape.

"It'll be worse if we end up getting taken hostage instead!" Kirishima adds.

However, despite Kirishima's warning, the girl does not budge. _No… He's bluffing._

 _It's almost lost under the cloud of dust, but I can see the steam-like substance that comes out when he transforms._

Izuku's jade orbs tremble. _All Might is…!_

 _I can't move anymore…_

All Might tries to limit his trembling in order to not let the enemies or the students realize his weakened state.

 _That Nomu thing was too strong…_

 _Frankly, if I move even one step, I won't be able to keep up this bluff._ All Might can feel his deteriorating condition, but he tries to stay strong. _I'll go back to my true form._

All Might wills himself to keep standing—to keep bluffing—to keep looking _strong_.

 _Just a little more…_

"Well?" All Might steps forward, taunting. "What's wrong?"

 _Hesitate._

Kurogiri narrows his golden eyes as he examines the Symbol of Peace.

 _If I can stall for just a little longer…_

Izuku cannot help the sweat running down her face, tense. The girl's emerald orbs are narrowed and worried as her teeth are clenched in tension. When the unstable villain begins scratching at his neck again, Izuku releases a gasp as she turns her focus to him.

Shigaraki Tomura anxiously scratches his neck as he mutters, "If only I had Nomu… That guy would've been able to go up against him without thinking about anything!" The frustrated villain releases a snarl.

"Shigaraki Tomura!" Kurogiri bends over to pacify and encourage his partner. "Please calm yourself." The warp villain turns his attention to All Might. "If you look carefully, you can see that he was definitely weakened from the damage of Nomu's attacks."

The observation causes Shigaraki Tomura to stop scratching at his neck.

"Besides, the children appear to be frozen in fear." Kurogiri turns to the students. "We still have underlings who can be used. There are likely only a few minutes left before reinforcements come." The warp villain continues, "If you and I work together, we still have a chance of killing him."

Fully convinced by Kurogiri's logic, Shigaraki Tomura stops wavering. Lowering his hands, the villain mutters. "Yeah… yeah, yeah… That's right… That's right…" The skinny man stares at All Might's figure, now noticing the Symbol of Peace's actual state. "We have no choice but to do it." Shigaraki Tomura tilts his head down as he glares at All Might. "I mean, we have the last boss right in front of our eyes."

Meanwhile, at the staircase, the group of students continues to watch the battlefield, checking on the situation.

Asui is the first one to notice it—the villains who had been previously knocked out by Aizawa have now started to regain consciousness and are eyeing them as their target. "Everyone, the villains are… ribbit." She warns her classmates, causing them all to glance down to where she is pointing.

The ragtag villains had already made it up a quarter of the staircase, a large portion of them seemed to have regained consciousness and was now charging at the students thinking that they could take them hostage. Uraraka gasps as Mineta backs away from the staircase, frightened out of his wits. Though these villains didn't have as much of a presence as the villains that were fighting All Might, they were still villains—and a ton of them.

Ashido Mina was very afraid. This whole event her emotions were thrown on a rollercoaster of fear and sadness and worry—however, she was protected by several others: by Aizawa, by Thirteen, by her classmates. The pink-haired girl turns her head to glance at Thirteen. The injured man was in no condition to even be standing as he is being aided by both Satou and Sero; the back of his costumed ripped open. She then shifts her attention to Aizawa on Shouji's back, wrapped in the taller boy's wing-like arms. Ashido's bottom lip lifts up, covering her top lip, as her whole body trembles, tears in her eyes.

Turning to Uraraka, Ashido exchanges determined eyes with the other girl who nods. Asui comes into view giving both girls a reassuring nod.

It was time for the girls to stand up and fight.

Just as the boys are about to react to the foes on the staircase, Uraraka stops them by extending her arms, blocking them. "Boys, wait!"

"But—" Satou begins, only to be cut off.

"Take care of sensei!" Ashido gives them a reassuring grin before turning back to the other girls. "Let's go, Tsuyu-chan! Uraraka!" She twirls back to the villains before she slides down the stairs, approaching the enemies with her acid.

Uraraka and Asui exchange determined smiles before the two join the pink girl.

Noticing the gathering foes at the entrance, Kirishima and Bakugo twirl back to catch the now-conscious ragtag villains rushing over to the rest of the class on the top of the stairs. The hooligans seem to be rushing after the students up at the entrance who were currently watching over the injured teachers, only to be met with resistance in the form of three female students.

"All Might will do something about the main bad guys." Kirishima nods before hardening his hand. "Let's go help the others!" The redhead proposes.

Todoroki blinks, noticing the lack of action from the girl behind him. This causes the half-white-, half-red-haired boy to turn to the girl and question her. "Midoriya?"

The girl doesn't notice, however. She is too lost in her thought—her own world.

 _I'm the only one who knows…_

Izuku continues to stare at All Might's proud standing form, noticing the barely visible tremors through his large body.

 _The mist guy is probably more dangerous._

The steam emitting from All Might's body becomes more and more noticeable as the clouds of dust clear more and more.

 _All Might has most likely gone past his limit._

Watching her idol smile painfully, Izuku grits her teeth tighter.

 _If the mist guy toys with him, I'm sure…_

Izuku clenches her fist, tightly as it trembles.

Shigaraki Tomura dashes forward, charging at All Might as he stands his ground, watching the approaching villain. _You're coming, huh?_

"This is revenge for Nomu!" Shigaraki Tomura yells as he extends his right hand.

All Might clenches his hand in frustration. He didn't think he would have to go this far—he didn't think the enemy had the guts to charge at him after he had destroyed the other villain's 'weapon'. _Geez, holy shit!_

Kurogiri flies towards All Might, opening up a warp gate in his fog body.

All Might slides forward slightly. _Hurry!_

The Symbol of Peace can feel himself sweat as he watches the villains come closer and closer to him. _Everyone, hurry!_

Then, _she_ is there.

All Might's eyes widen as Izuku—his disciple—is _there_.

Izuku had jumped in order to save him.

Back at where she had stood, a little ring of dust clouds remains as an after effect of using One For All to power her jumping charge. Katsuki's crimson eyes widen at the sudden disappearance of the green-haired girl and hastily turns his head around, searching for the girl.

Shigaraki Tomura's scarlet eyes widen as he gasps at the abrupt entrance of the girl with the curly green hair. _She's fast._

 _I'm the only one who knows the predicament he is in!_

"Midoriya?!" Kirishima gasps as the trio of boys all watch the girl flying straight toward the villains and All Might.

Katsuki's lips parts, leaving him gaping as he watches the girl. An ill feeling rises in his gut, screaming at him to do _something_ —but he doesn't. He _can't_.

Izuku grits her teeth to contain her scream from the pain of her broken legs, tears brimming her eyes. _They're broken… even though I controlled it earlier…_ Her legs bounce hazardously in the air as she flies towards All Might. _But I made it!_ The girl eyes the metal accessory around the villain's 'neck'. _The hidden part of his body!_

 _As long as I aim at that, I can blow him away!_

Tightening her fist, Izuku prepares to punch the metal accessory as she roars. "Get away from All Might!"

Hastily reacting to the girl, Shigaraki Tomura diverts his arm's initial direction to pass through Kurogiri's fog body, aiming to grab the green-haired girl's face.

 _This hand is…!_ It was as if time stopped at that moment. Izuku was merely inches away from that hand—the hand that had crumbled Aizawa's arm.

 _—_ _the one from back then?!_

"I won't fall for that again!" Kurogiri's deep voice reaches Izuku's ear slowly as that hand gets closer and closer to her face.

Izuku's eyes are dilated, fear contorting her face as she hears the maniacal laugh from the villain.

Moments away from touching the girl's face, pain shoots through Shigaraki Tomura's hand as a bullet punctures it. This causes the hand to be thrown off course, allowing Izuku to fall to the ground with a grunt.

At the sound of the gunshot, everyone turns to the source. Relieved, All Might questions. "Are they here?"

Two more shots are fired from the entrance; the shots moving rapidly through the mountains only to hit their target—the villain holding Kaminari hostage.

Seeing the blood sputter out from the gunshots, Jirou and Yaoyorozu's eyes widen in shock at the sudden turn of events. The villain releases Kaminari whose tears are streaming in the air as he falls since his arms had been shot.

"This attack…" Jirou comments.

Yaoyorozu gasps in realization, her voice rising as the two girls turn to the direction of the entrance. "Could it be...?"

"Sorry, everyone!" A squeaky voice echoes through the building. "Sorry, we're late!" Several footsteps are heard as the voice continues to speak. "I gathered all who were immediately available."

The students at the entrance stare at the incoming pro heroes with relieved smiles and tears. Uraraka's chocolate orbs shake as tears brim her eyes, threatening to fall as the brunette smiles. "Iida-kun!"

"I, Iida Tenya, class 1-A representative," Iida's loud and clear, reassuring voice can be heard throughout USJ as he shouts. "Have now returned!"

A dozen pros are lined up at the entrance, ready for combat, as they glare at the villains below them. Instead of focusing on the students, the ragtag villains which had originally been targeting them, switch their targets to the pros above them.

Present Mic clicks his tongue, glaring at the villains as he passes by Aizawa. The blonde man inhales a large breath before releasing his anger in an extremely loud scream. The pressure from the sound waves, knocks back the villains on the stairs, making their ears shatter and some lose conscious.

Ectoplasm produces glowing white fog which forms several clones of himself that charge at the villains who did not pass out from Present Mic's earlier attack.

"Split up and protect the students!" orders Principal Nezu.

The pro heroes split up, answering. "Yes, sir!"

Several explosions can be seen and heard from the plaza below the entrance, causing Kurogiri to make the strategetic choice of spreading his warp gate out so that his companion can escape through him.

"Aw man, they're here." Shigaraki Tomura complains, holding his injured hand as he walks backward towards Kurogiri. "It's game over now." The villain turns around to speak to his companion, "Shall we go home and try again later, Kurogir—" Shigaraki Tomura is unable to finish his question as he is once again shot, this time in the arm before he is shot again and again in each of his limbs. Hastily, Kurogiri uses his foggy distortion to protect Shigaraki Tomura from the incoming gunshots.

Snipe continues to shoot the villains as he comments. "Someone whose Quirk can capture them all from this distance…"

"Me!" A muffled groan comes from Thirteen.

"Shigaraki Tomura!" Kurogiri yells as he reaches for his companion. However, just before he can, his warp fog begins being sucked away by a familiar power. "This is…"

From the entrance, five of Thirteen's costume fingers is open as Satou and Sero support the injured hero.

"…Thirteen!" Kurogiri groans as he manages to get his companion inside his warp gate. The fog villain continues to be sucked towards the entrance where Thirteen is trying to restrain him.

Shigaraki Tomura mutters, "I may have failed this time, but I will kill you next time…"

All Might coughs out a little blood, prompting him to wipe the red liquid off with the back of his hand.

"…Symbol of Peace, _All Might_!" Shigaraki Tomura finishes as he vanishes with the distortion and soon Kurogiri spins and disappears in his own warp gate, escaping Thirteen's black hole.

Seeing as the villains have escaped, Thirteen deactivates his quirk and lowers his arm.

Izuku groans on the floor. She can only really feel the pain in her broken legs at that moment, with the adrenaline wearing off the girl was vulnerable to the injuries pain. However, even more than her physical injuries, what hurt most was how useless she was.

 _Even though I was right there…_

 _Even though I was able to pull it off earlier…_

 _Why?!_

Izuku squeezes her right hand tight against the floor as she lowers her head and grits her teeth. "I wasn't… able to do anything…!"

"That's not true." All Might's voice is soft and clear—snapping the girl away from her frustration and laments and drawing her attention to him.

Izuku whips her head up to gaze at All Might with her large peridots. Her breath hitches as she catches sight of his half-transformed form: one side being his bony and skinny appearance and the other his bulky, muscular one.

"If it weren't for those few seconds you bought me," All Might confesses, "I would've been killed."

"You saved me again."

Izuku's emerald eyes widen as tears fill her large eyes and she sobs out. "All… Might…!"

All Might softly smiles at his successor as tears stream down Izuku's face, her words come out as more than a whisper and no louder than a sob.

"I'm… so glad you're okay…!"

"My goodness…" Snipe comments as he takes in the destructive appearance of USJ, smoking flying up in the air practically everywhere.

"I can't believe we let them escape after they made such a big show of trespassing." Midnight scowls.

Vlad King, who had been carrying the principal on his shoulders, places the principal on the floor. "They caught us completely unguarded, huh?" The principal comments as he scans the USJ. "More importantly, we must make sure the students are safe."

Midnight and Snipe nod in agreement.

Meanwhile, back at the central plaza, Todoroki analyzes. "If this many pro heroes have gathered here, then it looks like they did not attack the whole school."

Katsuki doesn't reply to the other boy's statement and instead focuses on the green-haired girl on the floor next to All Might. He continues to stare at Izuku's crumpled form on the ground. _Her legs are most likely broken… that fucking idiot trash._

Katsuki glares at the girl with sharp crimson orbs. _What the hell did she think she was doing jumping in like that? Asking for an early death, huh?!_

Katsuki clicks his tongue and turns away from Izuku as he hears Kirishima yell, running towards the girl. "Midoriya!"

Izuku slightly pushes herself up to meet the redhead's concerned gaze. "Oh, Kirishima-kun…"

"Are you alright?" Kirishima asks as he continues to jog to the girl.

 _Young Kirishima, I applaud your concern for your friend!_ All Might sweats as the redhead continues to approach him and his disciple. _But wait, he'll find out. Crap, wait! Damn it!_

Seeing the panic on All Might's face, Izuku quickly puts the dots together and begins panicking herself. The green-haired girl looks from All Might to the approaching Kirishima and back and forth for a moment before extending her hand out towards Kirishima and shouting. "K-Kirishima-kun, wai—!"

All of a sudden, a wall of cement blocks Kirishima from his classmate and teacher, causing the oblivious boy to jump back with an amazed yelp. "Woah!"

"We want to make sure that all the students are safe," Cementoss explains. "So gather in front of the gate. We will deal with the injured here."

"That makes sense!" Kirishima smiles in agreement, "Roger that!" The passionate redhead then runs back to his other two classmates to tell them the news. "Hey! He said to gather in front of the gate!"

Hearing Kirishima's dissipating footsteps, both Izuku and All Might release a sigh. Exhausted, All Might drops to the floor, kneeling as Cementoss approaches. "Thanks." The blonde man then turns to face the other pro hero. "You saved me, Cementoss."

"I am a fan of yours, too," Cementoss admits. "Let's get you to the nurse's office while keeping you hidden." The pro hero comments, "But man, you act recklessly every time, huh?"

All Might turns away, his eyes dropping slightly. "If I didn't act recklessly, I would've been killed." The bony man rubs the blood on his cheek. "That's how strong the enemy was."

Meanwhile, in a certain bar, a warp gate drops a light blue-haired young man who is bleeding from every limb. "Ouch…"

"I was shot in both arms and both legs… We lost completely… Even Nomu was defeated!" Shigaraki Tomura complains from his place on the wooden floor. Blood seeps from his wounds, staining the floor as Kurogiri reappears behind him. "All the underlings were defeated in an instant. Those kids were strong…" The young villain growls.

"The Symbol of Peace was healthy…" Shigaraki Tomura mutters out, scarlet eyes dilated. The young man's eyes avert to the computer screen above him as he shouts, "You were wrong, sensei!"

"No, I wasn't." A voice retorts calmly from the computer. "We were just not prepared enough." The deep voice hums.

"Yes, we underestimated them." Another voice comes through the computer. "It's good that we did it under the cheap _League of Villains_ name." The voice continues. "By the way, what about Sensei's and my joint creation, Nomu?"

'Sensei' questions, "He was not retrieved?"

"He was blown away," Kurogiri reports.

The other voice in the pc screeches. "What?!"

"More precisely, without coordinates to his precise location," Kurogiri explains as he approaches the pc, "I could not find him, even with my warp." The warp villain stops just a few meters away from the pc, his hands fisting in frustration. "I did not have time for that."

"After all we did to make him as powerful as All Might!" The voice who wasn't 'Sensei' grumbles.

'Sensei' shrugs, "Well, I suppose it cannot be helped. That's unfortunate."

"Power…" Shigaraki Tomura mutters from the ground, his limbs still in pain as he recalls the events from earlier. Images of _that_ girl with the curly green hair and freckled face come to mind—her when she was about to punch him and again later when she managed to abruptly appear. "That's right. There was one child who was as fast as All Might."

"Oh?" 'Sensei' exhales with a slight interest in his tone.

"If she hadn't gotten in the way, we might have been able to kill All Might." Shigaraki Tomura's hand grinds against the wooden floor before he roars. "That brat… that bitch!"

"Of course, you have regrets." 'Sensei' states, "But this was not a futile exercise. Gather the elite. Take all the time you need. We cannot move freely, which is why we need a symbol, like you—Shigaraki Tomura."

"Next time, show the world that you are to be feared."

Sirens roar back in front of the USJ as Police Detective Tsukauchi Naomasa counts the students. "…16, 17, 18, 19. Other than the girl with both legs seriously injured, everyone else seems unharmed."

"Ojiro-kun," Hagakure places her gloved hand on the blonde teen with a tail, drawing the boy's attention. "I heard you were fired up this time. You were strong by yourself, huh?"

"I thought everyone was by themselves." Ojiro sighs, "I survived by using hit-and-run tactics." He then inquires, "Where were you, Hagakure-san?"

"In the landslide area!" The invisible girl points towards Todoroki who is standing a bit away. "Todoroki-kun was super strong. I was surprised!"

Ojiro smiles at the girl, "In any case, I'm glad you weren't hurt."

On the other hand, Todoroki who happened to overhear the conversation keeps a straight face. _I almost froze her… That was close._

"Where… do you think I was?" Aoyama suddenly asks, openly.

However, he is ignored by the group of Kirishima, Kaminari, Kouda, and Tokoyami who continue their conversation. "I see, so the people you fought were also just hooligans?" Tokoyami comments.

Kirishima catches a punch in his own palm. "They underestimated us 'cause we were kids."

"Where…" Aoyama tries to ask another group, only to be ignored.

"So it was All Might who put the hole in the dome, after all?" Sero asks Satou and Shouji.

Satou praises, "That's some crazy power."

"Yeah," Shouji nods, "As expected of All Might."

Desperate, Aoyama asks Asui, placing a hand on the frog girl's shoulder. "Where do you think I was?"

Feeling pity for the ignored boy, Asui humors him. "Where?"

"It's a secret!" Aoyama answers obnoxiously.

"In any case, let's have the students return to their classroom for now." Tsukauchi states. "We won't be questioning them right away, anyway, right?"

Hopping over to the detective, Asui asks. "Detective, what about Aizawa-sensei?"

Tsukauchi smiles at the girl for a moment before dialing the hospital to ask the situation. In response, the hospital staff on the phone reports, "Comminuted fractures in both arms and facial fracture. Fortunately, there does not seem to be any serious brain damage. However, his orbital floor has broken into small pieces, and his eyes may suffer its aftereffects." Tsukauchi, in turn, relays it to the children. "That's what he said," Tsukauchi answers, his eyebrows slightly furrowed.

"Ribbit…" Asui sadly croaks.

Mineta's eyes fill with tears as he mutters, "No…"

"What about Thirteen-sensei?" Ashido inquires, worried.

"Thirteen has been treated." Tsukauchi reports, "The lacerations from the back to upper arm were bad, but Thirteen will survive." The good news causes the whole class to smile, relieved. "All Might will also survive. Recovery Girl's healing is enough to treat him, so he's in the nurse's office."

"Deku-chan…!" Uraraka speaks up.

"What about Midoriya-kun?!" Iida questions, concerned.

"Midori…?" Tsukauchi turns to the two, not initially realizing who they were referring to. However, once he did, he smiles and lifts his hat slightly. "Oh, treatment in the nurse's office is enough for her, too."

"Oh good…" Uraraka releases a breath she is holding as she smiles in relief along with Iida.

"Now, go back to your classroom." Tsukauchi orders the class.

 **"** **Yes."** The class answers.

Tsukauchi then turns to a cat police officer. "Sansa, I also have some business in the nurse's office. I'll leave the rest to you."

"Yes, sir!" The cat cop salutes to the police detective.

Ashido and Uraraka pause to look at the officer, Ashido commenting, dumbfounded. "It's a cat."

"It's not a dog, huh?" Uraraka adds.

As the class begins walking towards the school, Katsuki silently stares at the USJ. Images of Izuku's sudden spurt of action was still fresh in his mind, causing Katsuki to scowl. _Damn._

 _What was that—?!_

"Bakugo!" Kirishima calls for the ash blonde haired boy. "He said to go back to the classroom!"

"I know, bastard!" Katsuki retorts as he turns away from the USJ and joins the rest of the class.

Meanwhile, inside the USJ, Nezu, Midnight, and Snipe look at the damaged USJ. Nezu suggests, "We need to make some drastic improvements to school security, don't we?"

"Yes," Snipe replies.

"A warp Quirk is already very rare, but for a villain to have one, of all things…" Midnight sighs.

Nezu looks down at the damaged USJ in thought.

On the other hand, outside the USJ, Tsukauchi is called out by another officer. "Detective Tsukauchi! We received word that someone thought to be a villain was captured in a grove of trees on school grounds."

Tsukauchi turns to the officer. "How is it?"

"He has no apparent injuries and seemed docile, not resisting capture." The officer reports. "He does not respond even when called out to, so he is thought to be mute."

Tsukauchi sighs before looking up at the sound of footsteps, spotting Nezu, Snipe, and Midnight exiting the USJ. The police detective approaches the trio, "Principal, we would like to investigate every corner of the school, just in case."

"Of course!" Nezu cheerfully agrees. "Some people might complain, but you police have more authority. Investigating is what you're good at. I'm counting on you!"

Tsukauchi smiles before moving to instruct the police officers. "Teams, proceed with the investigation of the school!"

As the sun sets on the horizon, the blue sky fades into a bright tangy glow of warm red, orange, and yellow. The light from the sun gives the large school a sepia tone as the streaming brightness causes it to glow a certain way. Through the infirmary's window, orange light filters through, shining on the two patients lying in the beds as Recovery Girl sits at her desk.

"Because of the situation this time, I can't really scold you…" Recovery Girl sighs.

"I'm not sure," All Might mutters from the bed, "But I think I might've shortened the time limit of my hero form again."

Izuku gasps. _What…?_

"I hope I still have at least an hour…" All Might confesses.

"All… Might…" Izuku turns her head to look at her mentor.

All Might sits up, "Well, it can't be helped. These things happen."

Izuku's eyes wander over the white bandages wrapped around All Might's stomach and torso; her emerald orbs growing larger as they glisten in sadness. Recovery Girl cannot help but frown at the situation.

"Excuse me," A voice calls as the door to the infirmary slides open. Tsukauchi takes off his hat as he smiles. "All might, it's been a while."

"Tsukauchi-kun! You're here, too?" All Might eagerly greets the man.

At the newcomer, Izuku hastily sits up, jade eyes dilated in panic. "All Might! Is it all right to show that form…?"

"Oh—yeah," All Might turns to his disciple. "It's fine. Why?" Tsukauchi walks over to All Might's bed with a small smile as All Might introduces him. "Because he's Tsukauchi Naomasa-kun, my best friend in the force."

Tsukauchi laughs at the introduction. "What's with that introduction? Sorry to cut to the chase, but All Might, can you give me details about the vill—"

"Wait!" All Might interrupts his friend, raising his hands up. "Please, wait! More importantly, are all the students okay?" At the question, Izuku leans closer, her breath hitching as she remembers her classmates. "What about Aizawa-kun—Eraser Head—and Thirteen?"

"Other than that girl, only a few students had light injuries," Tsukauchi reports in a soothing tone. "And the two teachers are in stable condition for now."

The information gives the two tense patients relief, letting them exhale a sigh as they release the tension they felt. All Might turns away from Tsukauchi as he breathes out, "I see."

"If you three heroes had not risked your lives, then the students would not have survived," Tsukauchi comments with a small smile.

"You're wrong about one thing, Tsukauchi-kun." All Might shakes his head as he states. "The students also fought and risked their lives."

Izuku stares at All Might with her large emerald eyes glistening under the sunset. "All Might…"

"Have there ever been any first-years who experienced a real fight so soon, survived, and learned of fear and the world of adults?" All Might wonders, before he turns to Izuku and gives the girl a smile. "The villains did something dumb."

"This class is strong." All Might declares, "They will become strong heroes."

"I am certain of that."

Izuku looks down at her right hand before she clenches it into a fist. She then turns to All Might who gives her a smile and a thumb up before turning away to look out the window on her left. The sun was setting in the warm gradient sky, marking the end of the day—it had truly been a long day.

It was her first taste of the world of pro heroes—facing fear, evil, despair, and hope.

Izuku smiles.

* * *

 **How was it?**

 **I added an extra scene with the girls at the entrance fighting off the villains to give them some more action time, since a good friend of mine mentioned that he wanted to see it XD**

 **Anyway, that wraps up the USJ arc... Now off to some fillers! XD**

 **I hope you all enjoyed the chapter!**


	12. The Big Announcement

**Sorry! I forgot that there was still this intro chapter that needed to be done before the fillers!**

 **So here it is!**

 **There's some extra content not found in the episodes here that I hope you will enjoy! And I'm slowly but surely showing the changes Fem! Deku brings!**

 **One last chance to add some ideas before I jump into this filler arc! Please comment with any ideas!**

 **I hope you enjoy the chapter!**

* * *

The day after the League of Villains attacked the USJ—an incident now dubbed "The USJ Incident"—U.A. High School was closed temporarily.

Midoriya Izuku had stayed home for the majority of the day, to let her body rest so she can recover from her injuries she had received the day prior. After seeing Izuku's wrapped up injuries and hearing the news, Izuku's mother had cried herself a river while her teenage daughter tried to reassure her that everything was fine.

Once she was able to escape her mother's worries for the evening, the first thing Izuku did was sleep. She quite literally just plopped on her bed and closed her eyes and slept—exhausted from the many events that had taken place that day.

That night, Izuku had a dream—or rather, it was more of a flashback of the day's events.

How the villains had suddenly appeared after the class had entered the USJ. How she and several others were scattered around the dome, sent to fend for themselves from the villains. How she had fought and won against a villain for the first time alongside her classmates. How they had nearly died due to her overconfidence. How All Might had appeared—when everyone was in despair and had given them hope. How Katsuki had almost died. How All Might had almost died. How _she_ had almost died.

When she had woken up the next morning, Izuku felt strangely listless—as if the energy that was supposed to be there had been sucked out of her body. She stares at her white ceiling blankly, her mind still lingering on the previous day's episode.

 _During the USJ Incident, the villains just toyed with us with their malice and strength._

 _We just slowed down Aizawa-sensei and Thirteen-sensei._

Izuku's emerald eyes widen as tears build in her eyes, threatening to fall as they blur her vision.

 _Why—even though time is of the essence… even though I am the one who had inherited_ _ **One For All**_ _—Why am I still unable to do anything—?!_

Izuku sobs.

 _"_ _You saved me again."_

Izuku can feel the wet warmth gliding down her cheeks, the tears escape her as she raises her hand—the unbandaged one—to muffle her sobs. _What I aspire to be seems so out of reach…_

Izuku turns in her bed, her blurry sight focuses on the poster of All Might on the wall across from her. The Symbol of Peace is smiling proudly—as he always does when saving others.

 _I want to save others… like All Might._

 _I want to be a hero…!_

Izuku wipes her tears away and sits up, sliding out of her bed and picking up the dumbbell next to her on the floor.

 _To do that, I have to make One For All more and more my own!_

Izuku couldn't help but feel restless on that day off.

The day after the rest day, U.A. High School resumes its classes. Izuku was actually quite happy to be back at school. Attending U.A. is always rather fun, even if it can be difficult at times and, since joining high school, she has finally managed to make friends and all her classmates are really nice to her—besides Katsuki, of course—so every day always tends to be fun. Plus, Izuku is always really excited to be in classes taught by pro heroes—though the initial enthusiasm has lowered a bit since the first few classes.

Upon entering the classroom, Izuku is quickly greeted by Iida who always comes to class early. "Good morning, Midoriya-kun!"

"Ahh, good morning, Iida-kun." Izuku smiles at the class rep.

Iida waves his hand rigidly toward the green-haired girl. "How are your injuries?"

"I had Recovery Girl look at it this morning," Izuku raises her originally bandaged hand for Iida to see. "As you can see, it's all better now. Thanks for the concern."

Iida gives the girl a small smile just as Uraraka bounces into the conversation. "Deku-chan, Iida-kun! 'Morning!" The cheerful girl greets with a big grin.

"Good morning, Uraraka-kun!" Iida greets back.

"Good morning, Uraraka-san." Izuku greets the girl with a smile.

The bouncy girl grabs Izuku's hands and holds them up as she examines them with concern. "Are your injuries all right, Deku-chan?"

Izuku gives the girl a smile, "Mmhm! I'm all good."

"Oi, trashy Deku!" A sudden shout causes the two girls to jump before they turn to find Bakugo standing behind them in the doorway. "Get out of the fucking way, you shitty nerd!"

"Bakugo-kun! How can you call your classmate such horrendous things?!" Iida is quick to lecture the irritated blonde.

"Shut up, Glasses!" Bakugo shouts at the straight-laced boy as Izuku moves to the side to pacify the class rep.

"Iida-kun, it's okay…" The green-haired girl gives her friends an awkward smile while appeasing her blonde childhood friend.

Glaring at them, Bakugo clicks his tongue and pushes past them to his seat.

Giving Bakugo the stink eye for only a moment, Uraraka turns back to her friends and gives them a bright smile. "Don't mind him, Deku-chan, Iida-kun. Ah! We should get to our seats!" The brunette exclaims before rushing to her seat to put down her stuff. Izuku follows the other girl's example and walks to her seat to place her rather large backpack beside her seat and sits down.

Meanwhile, two seats in front of Izuku, Hagakure asks her row-mates. "Hey, did you watch the news last night?"

"Yeah." Ojiro, from a seat away, nods.

"Did you see how everyone in class was on-screen for a second?" The invisible girl starts before sighing. "I didn't stand out at all…"

"That's true." Shouji, next to Hagakure, affirms.

Ojiro looks at the blunt boy with a panicked look before turning to the girl on the other side of the large boy and reassuring her. "It's hard to stand out looking like that, huh?"

"But man, all the channels made a big deal out of it." Kaminari comments, leaning back in his chair as he glances at Kirishima behind it.

"I was surprised." Kirishima inputs.

Jirou sighs, "Can you blame them? The hero course that keeps pumping out pro heroes was attacked after all."

Sero lets himself lean on his desk, "Who knows what would've happened if the teachers hadn't come when they did."

"Stop that, Sero!" Mineta cuts the black-haired boy off with a scream. The purple-haired boy's eyes are filled with tears and snot begins to drop from his nose as Mineta dramatically panics. "Just thinking about it is making me wet myself—"

"Shut up!" Bakugo snaps, shouting at the boy two seats behind him, causing the poor boy to jump in fright. This collectively startles Izuku, who is directly behind Bakugo. "Be quiet, scum!"

"But man, All Might was great." Satou changes the subject, praising their teacher—the Symbol of Peace. "He pushed back those crazy strong villains."

"Yes," Tokoyami adds, "His strength is worth wondering at."

Just when the clock's big hand falls onto the 24th mark, Iida charges to the front of the room as he commands. "Everyone! Morning homeroom is about to start!" Iida stops at the podium, "Stop talking and take your seats!"

"We're already in our seats," Kaminari calls out.

"You're the only one not in their seat," Sero adds.

Iida sits back in his seat with a rigid pout and his eyebrows furrowed deeply. The earnest boy trembles in frustration. "Shoot!"

"Don't worry about it." Uraraka carefreely comforts the boy in front of her.

Meanwhile, Ashido leans back in her seat. "Tsuyu-chan, for today's—" However, her seat tilts back too far and just as Ashido is about to fall, Asui pushes her back up. "—homeroom, who do you think is gonna teach?"

"Well, let's see…" Asui tilts her head, placing a finger under her chin as she contemplates. "Since Aizawa-sensei is supposed to be in the hospital recovering from his injuries…" The sound of the door opening cuts Asui's analysis off, causing both girls to look at the doorway.

"Morning." Aizawa greets the class, his whole face bandaged up along with both his arms, making them useless.

 ** _Aizawa-sensei, you're back too soon!_**

"You're too much of a pro!" Bewildered, Kaminari backs away.

Whipping his hand into the air, Iida hastily inquires. "Sensei, are you all right?"

"Can you really call that 'all right'?" Uraraka mumbles from behind the loud boy.

"My well-being doesn't matter," Aizawa states as he walks up to the podium. "More importantly, the fight is not yet over."

"Fight?" Katsuki questions under his breath, calmly.

Izuku's eyes widen as sweat rolls down her cheek. "Don't tell me…"

"The villains again…?!" Mineta wails.

Aizawa tilts his head down as he glances at his students from under the bandages, declaring. "The U.A. sports festival is drawing near."

 **"** **Sports festival?!"**

"That's a super normal school event—" Kirishima cheers.

"Wait, wait!" Kaminari smooshes Kirishima's face along with his enthusiasm away.

Jirou is the one who questions, "Is it okay to have a sports festival so soon after the villains snuck inside?"

"What if they attack us again or something…?" Ojiro asks, skeptical.

"Apparently, they think of it as U.A. showing that our crisis management system is solid as a rock by holding the event," Aizawa explains. "Security will also be strengthened to five times that of previous years. Above all, our sports festival is a huge chance. It's not an event to be canceled because of a few villains."

"But that's a good reason, isn't it?" Mineta deadpans, "It's just a festival of sports."

At Mineta's statement, Midoriya turns around to the small boy in astonishment. "Mineta-kun, you've never seen the U.A. sports festival?"

"Of course I have." Mineta answers. "That's not what I meant!"

"Our sports festival is one of Japan's biggest events." Aizawa elaborates. "In the past, the Olympics were called a festival of sports, and the whole country was crazy about them. As you know, with reductions in scale and population, they're now a shell of their former glory. And now, for Japan, what has taken the place of those Olympics is the U.A. sports festival!"

"Of course, all the top heroes around the country will be watching." Yaoyorozu continues, clenching a fist in passion. "For scouting purposes!"

"I know that." Mineta drops in his chair as he deadpans.

"After we graduate, it's typical to join a pro agency as a sidekick," Kaminari explains with a thumb up.

Jirou deadpans, "A lot of people end up missing their chance to become independent after that and become eternal sidekicks, though." The punk-style girl turns to her neighbor. "Kaminari, I feel like you'd be one of them. Since you're dumb."

This comment causes Kaminari's hand and eye to twitch as he looks at the girl dumbfoundedly.

"Of course, joining a famous hero agency will get you more experience and popularity." Aizawa lectures. "Time is limited. If you expect to go pro, then the path to your future will open up at this event. One chance a year—a total of just three chances. No aspiring heroes can afford to miss this event." The bandaged teacher exclaims. "If you understand that, then don't slack off on your preparations!"

 **"** **Yes, sir!"**

Aizawa finishes, "Homeroom is dismissed."

The bell rings throughout the school, alarming students and staff alike that it is time for lunch.

"Even though all that stuff happened," Kirishima shouts, his enthusiasm bursting out. "I'm getting really excited!"

"If we put on a good show and stand out, we'll have taken the first step to becoming a pro!" Sero joins the group of Kirishima, Tokoyami, and Satou.

Satou nods before punching into one of his hands, "It was worth coming to U.A.!"

"We will only receive a few chances." Tokoyami comments, "We cannot afford to miss this."

While those boys are in the back, in the front, Hagakure enthusiastically beams at Ojiro. "Ojiro-kun, I'm getting kind of nervous now. I need to stand out at the sports festival!"

"Y-Yeah…" Ojiro agrees as Hagakure does a little cheer. "But the pros might not notice you unless you try really hard…"

Meanwhile, Aoyama corners Kouda at the blackboard. "Oh dear, what'll I do?" Aoyama speaks out as he poses obnoxiously. "I stand out just by standing still, so the scouts won't be able to stop looking at me, right?" He points his finger at Kouda who had been erasing the blackboard.

The poor timid boy shakes his head, nervously as Aoyama continues to corner him. "Right?" Seeing no end to the boy's behavior, Kouda nods his head frantically to escape.

Kaminari sighs, "You're lucky, Shouji. Your brawn stands out on its own."

"There's no point if I cannot show them my usefulness." Shouji quickly retorts.

Jirou holds back a laugh as she references Kaminari's over-capacitied form. "I think you'll stand out, too."

Midoriya watches her classmates in astonishment, her shoulder tense. "Everyone's so into it."

"You are not?" Iida questions the girl before he stands up. "We have enrolled here to become heroes, so of course we would get fired up!" Iida bends forward moving his arms in small circles in front of him to show his enthusiasm.

"Iida-chan, you have a unique way of getting fire up." Asui deadpans. "It's weird."

"Midoriya-kun, you don't feel the same?" Iida gestures pointing from Midoriya to himself.

"Of course, I do." Midoriya corrects herself confidently, however, her tone wavers as she contemplates. "But something's…"

"Deku-chan, Iida-kun," Uraraka cuts Midoriya off with a rather harsh sounding voice. This causes the two to turn to where Uraraka is, both catching sight of Uraraka's strangely serious expression. "Let's do our best at the sports festival."

"Y-your f-face…! U-Uraraka-san!" Midoriya yelps; her emerald eyes dilated and her face sweating. Iida's mouth is agape as the straight-laced boy holds onto his glasses and continues to stare at the brunette girl.

Ashido pops in, checking on the situation. "What's the matter? You don't look carefree at all, Uraraka."

Blushes grow on Mineta's cheeks as he begins to mutter, "PM—" Only for Asui to quickly slap the boy with her tongue to prevent him from finishing his thought.

Uraraka's foot slides powerfully on the ground as she pumps her fist in the air. "Everyone, I'm gonna do my best!"

"Yeah!" Iida raises his fist immediately and responds. Izuku awkwardly pumps her own fist as Ashido and Asui join in as well in the back.

Once she is done getting the cheers from one group, Uraraka twirls around to the other group which occupies the back of the room and shouts, pumping her fist in the air. "I'm gonna do my best!"

"Y-Yeah…" Tokoyami, Kirishima, Sero, Satou, and Midoriya awkwardly follow the brunette girl.

"What's wrong? Your personality is all over the place." Kirishima sweatdrops.

Izuku lowers her fist as she watches the strangely enthusiastic in-a-scary-way Uraraka. _Now that I think about it…_

"Everyone, I'm gonna do my best!" Uraraka shouts, pumping her fist into the air as she incites the others to join her.

 _I never asked Uraraka-san…_

 _…_ _about why she became a hero._

"Uraraka-san," Izuku suddenly speaks up as the trio of her, Uraraka, and Iida is heading to the cafeteria.  
"Yeah?" Uraraka replies in a singsong tone. The brunette had finally managed to calm down from whatever enthusiasm high that she was on earlier in the classroom.

"Why did you decide to come to U.A. and become a pro-hero?" inquires Izuku, curious.

"Huh?" Uraraka freezes in place, the girl averting her eyes and scratching the back of her head. "Um… because… of… money…"

"For money?!" Izuku blinks, she wasn't quite expecting this sort of answer. "You want to become a hero for money…?"

Embarrassed, Uraraka's cheeks heat up as the girl continues to avert her chocolate orbs away from her friend's emerald ones and scratch the back of her head. "To boil it down simply, yes…" The girl suddenly swings her arm forward – the action startling both Izuku and Iida. She shakes her arm up and down as she frets. "Sorry, it's such an unwholesome reason." Uraraka looks away from her two friends with her hands holding her cheeks. "You two have such admirable motivations, it's embarrassing…"

"Why?" Iida is the first to respond. The earnest boy uses dramatic hand gestures with every sentence. "How is having a goal to support your livelihood not admirable?"

"Right," Izuku nods, agreeing. "It's just that it was unexpected."

"My family owns a construction company," Uraraka confesses, ruffling the hair on the back of her head. "But we haven't gotten any work at all, so we're flat broke. This isn't really something to tell other people, though…"

Both Izuku and Iida place a hand on their chin with their other hand supporting their elbow as they contemplate the information. "Construction…" Iida mutters out.

A lightbulb flashing in her mind, Izuku smiles as she shares her idea. "With Uraraka-san's Quirk, if she gets licensed, then it'd bring costs way down, right?"

Iida jumps on the idea, raising a finger. "She could make any raw material float. They wouldn't need any heavy equipment."

"Right!" Uraraka jumps in, pointing at her friends. "That's what I told Dad when I was little!" The brunette's enthusiasm dies down once again as she averts her eyes. "But… he told me…" Uraraka goes silent for a moment, closing her eyes.

 _"_ _You want to work for us?"_

 _"_ _Yeah! When I get big, I'll help you and Mommy!"_

 _"_ _I appreciate the thought, Ochako. But as your dad, I'd be even happier if you could achieve your dream. When that happens, you can take us to Hawaii!"_

 _"_ _Daddy…"_

Uraraka tightens her grasp on her skirt, as she opens her chocolate-colored eyes. "I'll definitely become a hero and make money and let my parents take it easy." With determined eyes, Uraraka declares this to her friends. Izuku and Iida both stare at the girl, accepting her determination.

 _Clap! Clap! Clap!_ Iida begins clapping his hands high in the air as he shouts. "Bravo! Uraraka-kun, bravo!"

Watching Iida's encouragement for her, Uraraka smiles, awkwardly but joyfully.

 _She's not just aspiring to be a hero. She's also taking reality into consideration._

An abrupt and loud voice of laughter interrupts Iida's cheering, causing the trio to turn to the source. All Might charges towards them, skidding into a halt before them as he points his finger at Izuku, dramatically. "Young Midoriya is here!"

"All Might?" Izuku blinks, pausing for a moment before she questions. "What's the matter?"

"Lunch!" All Might pulls out a bento wrapped in a blue handkerchief with white bunnies on it. "Wanna eat together?"

 _He's like a maiden!_ Uraraka spits as she tries to hold back her own laugh.

"How about it?" All Might asks.

Izuku blinks for a moment before turning to his two friends who give her a smile and a nod, assuring her that it was fine. The green-haired girl gives a nod to her friends and a smile before she follows All Might. "I'd love to."

 _I wonder what's going on…_

After Midoriya had left with All Might, Iida and Uraraka decide that they too should go get their lunch before the break is over. The duo heads over to Lunch Rush's Eatery in the cafeteria, where they stand in line, waiting for their turn to get food.

"I wonder what he wanted with Deku-chan." Uraraka wonders.

"I heard that when All Might was attacked by villains during the USJ incident, she rushed out alone to help," Iida explains. "Perhaps it's about that?"

Uraraka hits her hand with a fist. "Oh, yeah!"

"Remember what Asui said on the bus?" inquires Iida as he smiles at the brunette. "The boundless power they both have are similar, too." Uraraka nods, understandingly. "So maybe All Might has taken a liking to her." Uraraka nods as Iida praises Izuku. "As expected of her!"

Eavesdropping, Todoroki turns around to his classmates, eyeing them curiously. _All Might… and Midoriya Izuku…_

Meanwhile, in the teacher's lounge, Izuku's voice can be heard from outside the door as she shouts. "Only about fifty minutes?!"

"Yeah," All Might affirms as he pours a cup of tea for them. "That's the limit to how long I can use my power now. I overdid it too many times. That Nomu was also a tough opponent. And it hurt… I can just barely maintain muscle form for 1.5 hours now."

"About that…" Izuku leans forward, concerned. "Sorry—"

All of a sudden, All Might is spitting out blood as he laughs—startling the poor girl. "You don't have to apologize!" All Might lightly taps his head. "Man, we really are alike, you and me." All Might places a cup of green tea in front of Izuku. "Here, have some tea."

"Thanks…"

"More importantly, about the sports festival." All Might begins, "You still can't regulate One For All, can you? What'll you do?"

Izuku looks down for a moment before something comes to mind. "But there was one time…! When I aimed a smash at that brain villain, there was no backlash."

"Oh!" All Might gasps. "You mentioned that before! What was different?"

"Different…" Izuku furrows her brow as she concentrates, trying to recall the whole event. "The biggest difference between that and the One For All that I'd been using was…" Izuku stares at her palm, clenching the hand into a fist. "It was the first time… I tried to use this power on a person…"

"Hm… Looks like you succeeded in putting on the brakes unconsciously." All Might analyzes. "Anyway, that's progress. I'm glad." The lanky man then motions to the tea. "Now, drink up."

"Oh, thank you." Izuku reaches for the tea and takes a sip.

"Frankly, I don't have much time left as the Symbol of Peace." All Might confesses as he walks over to the window.

Izuku looks up at the man—her idol—with her big emeralds before averting them in sadness. "No way…"

"And some of those with built-up villainous intent are starting to realize." All Might points out, the fact brings Izuku to her feet, gasping. The blonde man turns around to his disciple. "I granted you my power because I want you to succeed me."

 _"_ _I want to be like you. I want to become the greatest hero, like you!"_

 _"_ _Saving people with a fearless smile!"_

"You still feel the same as you did back then, don't you?" All Might questions the girl.

Izuku stares into All Might's cyan eyes with her own clear and determined emerald eyes. "Yes."

"Then, the time has come for you to show that." All Might declares.

Izuku's breath hitches as she continues to watch her master.

"The U.A. sports festival is something pro heroes—no, the whole country—is watching closely. A big event!" All Might narrows his eyes. "That is what I brought you here to talk about!"

"The next generation All Might… the fledgling Symbol of Peace…" Izuku's eyes widen as the pressure builds on her shoulders, making her feel tense. "Midoriya Izuku."

Glowing cyan orbs meet bright jade orbs.

"I want you to tell the world _I am here!_ "

" _I am here…_ " Izuku mutters, lowering her head. "But how…?"

"You know the sports festival system, right?" All Might returns to the couch and sits down.

"Yes, of course!" Izuku quickly replies before she begins explaining. "The support, business, general studies, and hero courses come together and fight through preliminary games of different types by class year. The students who make it through face off in the finals. It's a round-robin tournament divided by grade."

"That's right!" All Might dramatically points at Izuku. "In other words, you can sell yourself with everything you've got!"

"Right…" Izuku mumbles. All Might fall back with a groan, taking the whole couch with him at the girl's reaction. Izuku, seeing All Might's reaction, begins to fret. "I mean, what you say is absolutely correct!" Izuku then puts a hand on her chin as she contemplates everything. "But honestly, it's kind of hard to get completely into it right after what just happened… Besides, All Might is already teaching me, so I'm not as motivated to stand out at the sports festival… In the first place, I don't think I _can_ stand out in my current state, and I did terribly in the fitness tests…" The green-haired girl continues to mutter on.

"No one's better at spouting nonsense than you!" coughs All Might as he spits out blood from his mouth.

"Nonsense?" Izuku looks over the couch's bottom to see All Might's body.

Cyan orbs train on the green-haired girl. "Those who are always aiming for the top, and those who aren't." All Might begins, "That slight difference in attitudes will have a big impact once you go out into society."

Izuku's lips stretch into a small frown as her eyebrows furrow.

"I understand how you feel, and this is more for me than for you." All Might claims. "I won't force you. However, I hope you won't forget how you felt back at the beach park."

 _How I felt at the beach park…_

Izuku blinks once—twice—thrice before she can believe her eyes.

"Wh…Wh-What's going on?!" Uraraka shouts at the large crowd of people in front the doorway.

Izuku still couldn't quite believe just how many people were there. It was like a large crowd of paparazzi all trying to get an interview with All Might.

Iida is the one to raise the question. "What business do you have with Class A?"

"We can't get out!" Mineta steps in to complain. "What'd you come here for, anyway?"

"Scouting out the enemy, small fry." Bakugo walks past the three as he cooly approaches the crowd. Mineta points to Izuku's blonde childhood friend with a look of horror as he trembles in place. "We're the ones who made it out of the villains' attack."

Izuku tries to pacify the small boy. "That's Kacchan in neutral."

"They probably wanna check us out before the sports festival," Bakugo explains, turning slightly to glance at the green-haired girl who was trying to calm the smaller purple-haired boy down. "There's no point in doing stuff like that."

Katsuki turns back to face the crowd, snarling. "Out of my way, extras!"

Behind the ash blonde teen, Izuku and Uraraka are trembling at how Katsuki could say those words and Iida begins lecturing him. "Stop calling people 'extras' just because you don't know them!"

"I came to see what the famous Class A was like," A tall boy with wild purple hair steps through the crowd. "But you seem pretty arrogant. Are all the students in the hero course like this?"

At those words, the four behind Bakugo immediately put up their hands and shake their heads, denying the statement as Bakugo tilts his head back and glares at the bold newcomer.

"Seeing something like this makes me disillusioned." The purple-haired boy maneuvers to the front of the crowd, rubbing the back of his neck. "There are quite a few people who enrolled in general studies or other courses because they didn't make it into the hero course." The boy tilts his head, "Did you know that?"

Bakugo glares at the tall purple-haired boy in front of him as the boy continues to talk. "The school has left those of us a chance. Depending on the results of the sports festival, they'll consider our transfer into the hero course. And it seems they may also transfer people out."

"Scouting out the enemy?" The boy's purple eyes narrow. "I, at least, came to say that even if you're in the hero course, if you get too carried away, I'll sweep your feet out from under you. I came with a declaration of war."

Collectively, Izuku, Iida, and Uraraka's eyes bulge out, comically.

 ** _This person is bold, too!_**

Both boys glared at each other for a moment in silence—that is, until someone else's voice calls over the crowd. "Hey, hey!" This draws everyone's attention to a silver-haired boy with sharp teeth who shouts. "I'm from Class B next door! I heard you fought against villains, so I came to hear 'bout it! Don't get so full of yourself!"

 ** _Another bold person!_**

"If you bark too much, it'll be embarrassing for you durin' the real fight!" The student from Class B continues his own bark. Katsuki, feeling absolutely no interest for the loud teen, has enough of this and turns to exit the class. "You ignorin' me, bastard?!"

"Wait a minute, Bakugo!" Kirishima rushes over. "What're you gonna do about all this? It's your fault that everyone's hating on us!"

"It doesn't matter." Katsuki turns his head to glance at his classmates near the entrance, his crimson eyes calm and collected.

"Huh?!" Kirishima's mouth drops as he questions the blonde.

Katsuki's eyes avert from his classmates and move to the crowd, giving them a cold stare. "It doesn't matter as long as you rise to the top."

Izuku's breath hitches as she gasps.

Katsuki then walks away, exiting the classroom through the crowd. The Class B student shouts, "Damn it, you bastard!"

On the other hand, Kirishima is touched to tears. "That's so simple and manly!"

"Huh?!" Kaminari jumps, turning to Kirishima.

Satou considers it. "You said it."

"Huh?!" Kaminari's mouth drops as he turns to Satou.

"The top, huh? There is a truth in that." Tokoyami agrees.

"Wai-Wai-Wait! Hang on, don't be tricked!" Kaminari shouts, "He just made more pointless enemies!"

"That's right! That's right!" Mineta affirms, "We'll just be at a disadvantage at the sports festival!"

Izuku continues to stare at the spot where Katsuki had stood.

 _"_ _I'm just getting started!"_

 _"_ _You hear?"_

 _"_ _Here, I will become number one!"_

 _Kacchan…_

Izuku clenches her fist.

 _Am I an idiot…?!_

 _I hope you won't forget how you felt back at the beach park._

* * *

 **** **So Izuku has a newfound resolve for the upcoming sports festival! XD**

 **I hope that my characterization for everyone is good so far...**

 **Please comment if you have an idea for the fillers!**

 **I hope you enjoyed the chapter!**


	13. Girls Hang Out 1

**Heyya! Sorry for the late update! It took me awhile to push myself through this chapter but near the end, I couldn't help but get excited XD**

 **Anyways, I think I'm gonna only have three filler chapters (including this one) before I get to the Sports Festival! (Since well, there isn't much development to lead to anything TOO fun) XD**

 **I also want to use this note to answer a reoccurring comment.**

 **One thing, I believe I already said that this series will be mostly based on the actual plot of Boku no Hero. However, there, of course, will be changes due to fem! Deku. These changes don't really show up in the beginning due to the more gender-neutral plot in the beginning, plus the fact that I want to keep the base the same so I can develop the story my way more in the future.**

 **SO if you are asking "Well, what's the point of reading this? It's so redundant!"... it's because of THIS chapter! Yes, it's because of the filler chapters and because I will have future developments in this story as the MAIN characters will be developing different relationships with each other, hence, the changes to come to the story.**

 **Anyways, that is all I would like to say for now. Thank you for all of the people who have sent me comments! I appreciate all of them!**

 **Also, if you have story ideas don't forget to comment!**

 **Now, I hope you enjoy the chapter!**

* * *

After the U.A. Sports Festival announcement, Class 1-A became focused on preparing for the upcoming event. With every hero basic training class, in addition to their regular class, the students are given some extra time to train before they must return to class.

It was after one of these training sessions that Midoriya Izuku notices _it_.

Her shoes have holes in them.

Izuku picks up one of her bright red high-tops, examining the hole in the side of the shoe.

Uraraka, who notices the green-haired girl's sudden interest in her shoes, leans over to have a look herself. "Hmm… Deku-chan, your shoes are broken?"

Startled by the brunette's abrupt proximity, Izuku jumps slightly as she turns to find the brunette leaning over. The girl with curly green hair nods as she places the shoe back on the floor. "Yeah,"

"It must have broke since you've been training so much!" Ashido jumps into the conversation as the buttons up her shirt.

"Izuku-chan has been doing a lot of stamina training, ribbit," Asui adds as she buttons on her shirt.

"With that damage, it does not seem like your shoes will last for much longer." Yaoyorozu analyzes as she looks at Izuku's shoes.

Jirou joins as well while she zips her skirt. "Are you going to go buy new ones?"

"Yeah," Izuku affirms as she ties her tie. "I should go get one after school. I don't want to delay preparing for the sports festival because I need new shoes, after all."

Uraraka hums as she seems to contemplate an idea. The brunette pauses mid-dressing to turn to the dressed Izuku. "Can I tag along? I feel like I might need a new pair as well."

"Of course, you can!" Izuku smiles at the brunette.

"Oh!" Ashido pops in, beaming. "Let me join in too, Midoriya!"

Hagakure suddenly join enthusiastically. "Oh! Oh! I know! We should all go!" Hagakure exclaims, jumping up in the air fully dressed. "It'll be like a girl's trip!"

"Oh, I'm up for that." Jirou agrees.

"It seems like it would be fun." Asui nods.

"Everyone, that depends on Midoriya-san." Yaoyorozu turns to the freckled girl, "If you would not mind, Midoriya-san, I would love to join you."

A bit overwhelmed by the whole conversation, Izuku cannot help but fluster, her cheeks growing a rosy pink. "Um… ehh—I mean it's only shopping, and all of you guys are busy preparing for the sports festival as well…" Izuku rambles, "Ahh—what I mean is… umm… eh—" Seeming as if she has found the words to use, Izuku beams with a bright smile. "I would love it if you all would come!"

"Yay!" Ashido cheers, "Then it's settled!"

"After school today, us girls will all have our very first 'Girls Hang Out'!" Hagakure announces.

It was Izuku's broken shoes which had led to the first-ever Class 1-A's girl's outing.

Once the bell rings, marking the end of class, Izuku's desk is turned into a gathering spot for the girls. The first to approach Izuku is Ashido and Hagakure, who had skipped over to the green-haired girl once they finished packing.

"Midoriya~" Ashido gives the green-haired girl a big grin as she uses a singsong tone. "Are you ready?"

Izuku replies, "Ahh—please wait a moment!" The girl then begins packing her bag faster, trying to stuff her books away as quickly as she can.

"Izuku-chan, do you have a shop in mind for the trip?" Hagakure asks the packing girl.

Izuku pauses for a moment, putting a hand on her chin. "Hmm… I don't have a particular preference… but I was thinking about going to the mall by the station."

"Oh? What's this I hear about a trip?" Kaminari approaches the girls, jumping into the conversation.

"Us, girls, are going to go on a shopping trip!" Ashido answers with excitement.

A flash seems to go off in Kaminari's mind before the boy beams. "That sounds fun! Let me join!"

"Girls only." Jirou steps in, deadpanning.

"Eh—" Kaminari whines, however, he is quickly shut down by Bakugo who is still sitting at his desk in front of Midoriya.

"Oi," Bakugo growls, glaring at the other blonde. "Shut up you fucking trash and stop crowding around my desk!" Bakugo shouts, slamming his hands on his desk before he stands up, grabs his bag and pushes out of the room. "Tch… all these scums getting all excited…"

Izuku can only awkwardly smile as she apologizes to Kaminari for her childhood friend's behavior, finishing her packing. Uraraka, Asui, and Yaoyorozu join the rest at Izuku's desk, with Jirou pushing Kaminari out of the way to give the other girls room. Once gathered and Izuku informs them of her plan, the girls head out of the school and walk to the mall.

Upon reaching the mall, the girls first head to the shoe store in order to fulfill their original goal of getting Midoriya some new shoes. The whole event finished rather quickly as Midoriya had already known what pair of shoes she would get. However, as the other girls wanted to check out the shoes in the store as well, it took about 20 minutes before the girls left the store.

"Hey, why don't we stop and get a snack?" Then, after a certain comment from Uraraka, the girls decide to go to a small café within the mall. It is as Izuku is sipping on her melon soda, the girl comes to a revelation.

 _Isn't this the first time I've gone on a hang out with other girls…?!_

Upon thinking this, Izuku begins to feel more nervous—yet at the same time, she couldn't help but feel really happy. It was strange to her. Before coming to U.A., Izuku had always been alone. Of course, she had Katsuki when she was young—but she never actually had any _girl_ friends. Ever since she was young, girls have always seemed to dislike her for some reason.

"Izuku-chan," Asui's voice calls Izuku out of her trance. The freckled girl looks up at the frog-like girl who tilts her head in concern. "Is something the matter?"

Izuku blinks for a moment before realizing that everyone is staring at her now and becomes embarrassed. She hides her quickly flushing face with her arms, letting out a little mumble.

"There's no pressure, Deku-chan." Uraraka encourages the shy girl from her side. "You can tell us anything."

Izuku glances up at Uraraka's bright, reassuring grin which makes her mouth stretch and twist. For a moment, Izuku buries her face before lifting her head slightly out of her arms. "I-It's just…" The girl's cheeks are flushed and her emerald eyes are averted away from the others as she confesses. "I… I've never hung out with other girls before… and I only just realized it… so, I just became a bit nervous…and…!"

 ** _So cute…!_**

Yaoyorozu is quick to comfort the girl, "There's no need to be embarrassed, Midoriya-san. This is also my first 'hang out' with female friends, as well." The ponytail girl smiles at Izuku as she begins crawling out from her arm barrier. "So, we are the same!"

"Yaoyorozu-san too…?" Izuku lifts her head more as she stares at the black-haired girl.

Yaoyorozu nods in confirmation as Ashido jumps in, "Huh? Why haven't you two?"

"Since I was young, I have been primarily focusing on becoming a hero, so I usually spend my free time studying instead." Yaoyorozu elaborates.

"Oh—" Hagakure seems to nod before she shifts her attention to Izuku. "And Izuku-chan?"

"Weren't you childhood friends with Bakugo?" Jirou prompts.

"Yeah," Izuku nods, "And my only friend was Kacchan. Since elementary—no, maybe since daycare…? —the girls in school never seemed to like me for some reason… so I couldn't really make friends with anyone else…" Izuku explains, rubbing the back of her neck.

"Oh, I see…" Jirou trails off for a moment, exchanging looks with Ashido and Uraraka. "And I'm guessing Bakugo was more popular than he is now…?"

"Yeah!" Izuku nods with a fond smile. "Kacchan was always popular even before he got his Quirk!"

 _Ahh—so it was probably out of jealousy, then._ Ashido sips her iced coffee before tilting her head. "On the topic of Bakugo…" A mischievous smirk spreads across her lips as her golden eyes gleam at Izuku. "Midoriya, what do you think of him?"

"What do I think of… Kacchan?" Izuku tilts her head back, staring at the ceiling for a moment. The girl then bends over a bit as she lets her chin rest on a hand. "Hmm… well, Kacchan is very cool though he always acts out in a violent manner and has a foul mouth. Overall, his abilities far exceed—"

"Ahh—" Ashido raises her hand. "Stop! Stop! I didn't mean in that way…" The pink girl scratches her cheek and awkwardly laughs.

Izuku blinks as she tilts her head in confusion. Just as the curious green-haired girl is going to ask, Uraraka jumps in to shift the topic. "Oh yeah! Speaking of Bakugo—or boys in general—what do you girls think of the boys in our class?"

"What do we think…?" Yaoyorozu quirks an eyebrow at the question.

Jirou explains, "Like our opinions of them, stuff like that." The punk-style girl points out. "Like say Kaminari—he has a strong quirk and is okay in the looks department… but he is an idiot." Jirou covers her mouth as she tries to hold back a laugh, recalling Kaminari's idiotic face when he goes over his watt-capacity.

"Speaking of the rather strong members of the class," Asui jumps in, "There is also the rather 'cool' Todoroki-chan and, of course, the violent Bakugo-chan… also, silent Tokoyami-chan is quite strong."

"Ojiro-kun is really kind and strong too!" Hagakure declares.

Uraraka nods her head with a smile, "There's also Iida-kun who is really fast!"

"Satou-san and Sero-san are quite promising as well," Yaoyorozu adds.

"Shouji-kun is very powerful as well!" Midoriya joins her own two cents. "Though I'm not quite sure about Kouda-kun… I do know that he can control animals, though."

"Well, Kouda is very quiet," Jirou affirms.

"On the other hand, Aoyama can be obnoxious." Ashido sighs, taking a sip of her cola.

Izuku ponders on the class, thinking of who they had already mentioned before speaking up. "That leaves Mineta-kun—"

"Mineta's a scumbag pervert." Jirou deadpans, seemingly pissed.

"E-Eh…" Izuku blinks at the sudden hostile reaction towards the small purple boy. _Mineta-kun… just what did you do to Jirou-san—or rather… what did you do to everyone…!?_ Izuku sweats at the sight of the rather dark aura around all the other girls.

"He truly is rather obnoxious." Ashido grimaces, "He has grown a lot bolder as of late as well."

"Yeah, I've caught him looking up my skirt before!" Hagakure passionately joins in.

These mentionings seem to strike a chord within Izuku, prompting the green-haired girl to remember a certain event. "Now that you mention it… I think he may have touched my butt once…?"

"Izuku-chan," Asui deadpans, "He did."

"Ah… I see." Izuku scratches her cheek, "I'll have to be on my guard then."

Once the girls leave the café, they realize not that much time has passed, so they decide to do a bit more shopping before they head home. While walking past some clothes shops, Yaoyorozu suddenly stops by a certain display window. Inside the window, there are several mannequins lined up in different poses wearing rather adorable outfits.

Jirou stops the group silently, leading them to backtrack to Yaoyorozu who is gazing at the display with sparkly eyes. _So cute…!_ Jirou leans over towards the ponytail girl and motions towards the shop, "Do you want to go in and check it out…"

"Oh, but um… I couldn't-shouldn't—" Yaoyorozu snaps out of her daze and begins denying.

Hagakure jumps in, dragging the rest with her. "So cute! Hey, let's go check this out!" The invisible girl then enters the store with the other girls not too far behind.

Jirou smiles at Yaoyorozu, "Come on, everyone else is going in."

Yaoyorozu gives a small smile. "Well, then, if you all insist." The two dark-haired girls enter the shop behind their friends.

Upon entering the shop, Uraraka had pulled Midoriya towards a section with some adorable dresses. Ashido tags along with a mischievous grin as Asui and Hagakure head to an area nearby with some cute blouses on display. Meanwhile, Yaoyorozu and Jirou head towards the skirts.

In the dresses section, the three girls are sifting through the dress rack. Every so often, one of the girls would raise a dress and ask the other two girls for their opinion on it. It seems that Ashido has a certain taste for rather wild prints as several of the pink girl's choices had a bizarre design. Both Izuku and Uraraka promptly reject the ideas and the girls return to browsing.

"Now that I think about it…" Izuku confesses as she sifts through the dresses on the rack. "I don't think I have any dresses…"

Uraraka and Ashido both pause at this statement for a moment before bursting out. "Huh?!"

"What do you usually wear then, Deku-chan?" Uraraka inquires, still astonished.

Izuku taps her chin as she recalls her closet. "Hmm… capris… and shorts… I only have a couple skirts too…"

Uraraka and Ashido both exchange expressions, nodding to each other. Ashido smirks, "Then, Midoriya, let's find a dress for you!"

"Huh…?" Izuku turns around to the two girls, blinking. Seeing the rather devious expressions on the two girls' faces causes the green-haired girl to step back. "E-Eh…?!"

"No refusing, Deku-chan!" Uraraka seems to be in the zone, like how she was after the sports festival was announced. "We will find something perfect for you…"

"Huh? There's really no need—" Izuku tries to wave away the two girls' sudden burst of interest to no avail.

"We need more help." Ashido gleams at Uraraka as they share an understanding nod.

Uraraka raises a thumb up before leaving, "I'll call the others over here!"

Ashido grabs Izuku's shoulders before pushing the poor green-haired girl towards the changing rooms. "Midoriya, you wait here! We will bring you some clothes in a moment!" The pink girl then plops the bewildered girl into a seat in front of one of the changing room stalls. "So, sit tight and wait, okay!" Ashido then rushes off with a wave, leaving the girl with curly green hair to sit and wait for her and the others.

 _How did things get so out of hand?!_

Izuku looks down at the large pile of clothes in her arms before looking up at herself in the mirror. It seems that the other girls have decided to make this a contest to see who could coordinate the best dress or skirt outfit for Izuku. The first to submit their design is Uraraka who gives the stack of clothes to Izuku with a bright grin on her face—making it impossible for Izuku to refuse.

Hence, why Izuku is now obediently dressing in the clothes that Uraraka had picked out for her.

Izuku looks at herself in the mirror and cannot help but blush at what she is wearing. She is wearing a sleeveless cyan babydoll dress with white accents and a ruffled skirt. In Izuku's opinion, the dress was a bit short for her taste and walking around without any sleeves to secure the dress felt embarrassing. However, when Izuku walks out of the changing room, finally dressed, she is attacked by an onslaught of compliments.

"Aww! Deku-chan, so cute!" Uraraka beams at her with a sparkly aura of excitement and pride.

Jirou whistles in the background as Hagakure and Ashido jump up and down in excitement.

"This is a bit embarrassing though…" Izuku averts her eyes as she tries to hide her face with her hands. She also slightly tugs down the skirt of the dress. "And… isn't this dress a bit short… Uraraka-san?"

Uraraka takes a picture of Izuku with her phone as she puts up a thumb. "No, no—you are absolutely adorable, Deku-chan!"

"Now, my turn!" Hagakure cheers. The invisible girl then shoves a dress into Izuku's arms before turning the girl around and pushing her into the stall again.

Obediently, Izuku switches from Uraraka's chosen outfit to Hagakure's. Izuku found relief in how Hagakure's chosen dress did have sleeves this time. This dress was pastel yellow with orange ruffle accents on the long sleeves which hung loosely on Izuku's arms. The dress had a similar ruffle and flowy style that the previous dress had with white ruffles at the end of the skirt. The collar of the dress was decorated with orange accents and white ruffles with white buttons in the middle going down her chest.

The girls cheer and coo at how cute Izuku is when she steps out once again from the stall.

"You look very adorable, Midoriya-san." Yaoyorozu compliments the green-haired girl.

"Yeah, you look just like a doll." Jirou smiles.

Izuku's cheeks are constantly flushed with both embarrassment and shyness. She was happy about all these compliments but this whole situation was quite overwhelming to the timid girl. "Th-thanks…"

"Next is mine!" Ashido cheers as she gives Izuku the dress she had picked out along with a belt.

Izuku is once again pushed back into the stall and left to the pink dress in her hand. Once again, the dress has sleeves—short sleeves this time which were loose. The sakura pink dress was longer than the previous two dresses, reaching just above her knees. The ends of the skirt are ruffles and the dress, overall, is quite loose. The brown leather belt around she had tied around her waist helps emphasize her thin waist and makes the dress more form-fitting.

"Oh! Very chic!" Hagakure claps her hands when Izuku comes out of the changing room.

"Hmm…but don't you think the pink is a bit too bold…?" Jirou questions.  
Yaoyorozu nods at this, "Perhaps, this shade of pink is a bit too obnoxious for Midoriya-san. A fairer shade would complement her pale skin and green hair much more."

"Aww! But pink has to be bright and bold!" Ashido defends.

Asui pacifies the pink girl. "Now, now. This is about Izuku-chan."

Yaoyorozu is the next to hand Izuku another dress. "If you would not mind, Midoriya-san."

"Thank you," With a small smile and a nod, Izuku takes the dress and reenters the dressing room. Izuku was actually quite curious about what sort of dress Yaoyorozu would choose. The tall ponytail girl was rather dignified and had a sort of regal air to her, after all.

Looking down at the dress in her hand, Izuku stares blankly at it for a moment. _Eh? This is…_

Despite, the pause, Izuku continues to put on the dress, not sure what else she could do besides that. Her rosy cheeks flush further upon looking at herself in the mirror.

Izuku is wearing a dress that looks more like a two-piece. The top of the dress is white with ruffles for the collar which wraps around her arms. Underneath the ruffled white top are light red tank top type straps. In the center of the ruffles is a red rose-looking cloth formation with a bow coming out of it. There is some lace beneath the bow and also all over the skirt and even on the sleeves. On her matching light red skirt part, there are bows decorating the skirt in two layers. Izuku couldn't help but think that she was wearing a doll's dress.

 _Could this be Yaoyorozu-san's tastes…?_

Shyly, Izuku exits from the dressing room, earning blank stares from her friends besides from Yaoyorozu who seems to gush at the sight. All of the girls turn to the excited Yaoyorozu, seeming to realize that the girl really likes these types of clothes—which is likely why she had wanted to enter this shop in the first place as the shop's display showcased very adorable doll-like outfits.

Uraraka, sensing the atmosphere, decides to break it by also gushing over Izuku—leading the others to follow her lead. "Wow! You _really_ look like a doll, Deku-chan!"

"It's a bit embarrassing to wear though…" Izuku awkwardly laughs.

Jirou takes this as her cue to hand her own hand-picked outfit to Izuku. "Then, I guess it's time for you to change again."

"Ah, thanks, Jirou-san." Izuku smiles at the punk-style girl as she graciously takes the clothes and enters the changing room again.

This time the outfit is a shirt and skirt combination. For the top, Jirou had chosen a black sailor style blouse with magenta plaid accents. The sleeves reach to Izuku's elbows and are cuffed with the same plaid accents. As for the skirt, it is a magenta plaid mini-skirt with a ruffle design - despite Izuku's shyness. However, in Izuku's opinion, this outfit was much less embarrassing than her earlier one.

In stepping out of the dressing room, Izuku is greeted with approving smile and nods. Hagakure turns to Jirou, "Wow, Kyouka-chan! You can even manage to turn this shop's adorable clothing and make it have a punk flare to it!"

"It's a talent, I guess…" Jirou shyly scratches the back of her head before she focuses on Izuku, eyeing the girl up and down. "Hmm… but I guess punk style doesn't work all that well for Midoriya. It just doesn't seem to fit…"

"That's because Deku-chan is such a good girl!~" Uraraka sings, happy-go-luckily.

"Yeah, that's true." Jirou smiles before a sudden realization causes her to turn to Uraraka. "Wait, does that make me a 'bad girl'?"

Ashido breaks out laughing at this.

While Jirou chases Ashido around with Yaoyorozu trying to pacify them and Hagakure laughing on the side, Asui approaches Izuku with an outfit in hand. "Here you are, Izuku-chan, the last one, ribbit."

"Thank you, Asui-san!" Izuku smiles at the other green-haired girl.

Asui corrects the girl, "Call me 'Tsuyu-chan'."

"Ah—again, sorry… Tsu-Tsuyu-chan…" Izuku flusters.

"Ribbit." Asui smiles at Izuku as she files back into the changing room—for what was hopefully the second-to-last time for the day.

The outfit that Asui had chosen was also a two-piece with a blouse and a skirt. The blouse is a white button up with lace bordering the buttons. The sleeves are slightly puffy with ruffles at the ends and the blouse is tucked into her skirt. On the other hand, the navy blue skirt is more like a dress; however, it only reaches to above her stomach with overall like straps attaching the front and the back of the skirt over her shoulders. The actual skirt part of it has a smooth design rather than the ruffle like designs the previous skirts have had. Looking at herself in the mirror, Izuku still felt a bit shy, but this outfit was much more comfortable than the previous ones have been. _Maybe because it looks so down-to-earth?_

Walking out of the dressing room, Izuku feels a bit more confident.

Asui compliments her, "You look wonderful, Izuku-chan."

"It's thanks to you, Asui—" Izuku shakes her head, correcting herself. "I mean, Tsuyu-chan." Izuku looks down at her outfit, "I don't exactly know why… but this outfit feels a lot more comfortable."

"Maybe because it fits Midoriya's reserved personality." Jirou speculates.

Uraraka gives Izuku a big grin and sparkly chocolate orbs. "You look absolutely adorable, Deku-chan!"

"R-really…?!" Izuku's cheeks flush once again as she tries to hide her face, feeling shy.

Hagakure and Ashido join in, cooing at how cute the green-haired girl is before Yaoyorozu stops them from teasing the timid girl. "How about you buy the outfit, Midoriya-san? It suits you very well, after all."

"Mnn… I don't know…" Izuku's lips twist awkwardly. "First I should check the price…"

"Stop right there!" Ashido puts up her hand with a serious expression which soon melts into a grin. "Have no fear—we'll help you out!"

"Yeah!" Hagakure joins, "We can help you pay for it—call it a gift to commemorate our first outing!"

"Huh? But then what about you girls—" Izuku is about to refuse, only to be cut off promptly by Asui.

"There's no need to fret, Izuku-chan." Asui smiles at the other green-haired girl.

Uraraka adds, "Yeah, and we were the ones to drag you into doing this in the first place…! So, yeah!"

"We are happy to do this, Midoriya," Jirou affirms.  
"Everyone…" Izuku's emerald eyes grow larger as she smiles at her new friends. "Thank you!"

Thus, the girls went and purchased Izuku's new outfit—which turned out to be an item on the store's clearance section. So, after splitting the cost amongst the seven of them, each girl didn't have to pay very much.

After a little more wandering, the girls find a photo booth and decide to take a picture to commemorate their first hang out before they all head over to the station to take the train home.

The next morning, before class begins Iida had asked the girls how their outing yesterday had been. Enthusiastic, Uraraka had pulled out her cell phone to show Iida all the pictures they had taken as she and Midoriya describe their hang out. Iida actively listens with a small smile to his two friends.

"Oh and then Yaoyorozu-san looked like she wanted to look at this one shop so we went inside!" Uraraka happily recalls as she turns to Midoriya with a grin. "And then we decided to get Deku-chan a new outfit!"

"Ahh… that was a bit embarrassing, though…" Izuku chuckles a bit as she reminisces on all the times she had to go in and out of the changing room.

"Oh! I have some pictures of all the outfits Deku-chan tried on too." Uraraka swipes through her pictures and upon finding the images, the brunette exhibits them to Iida. "Doesn't she look cute!"

Iida nods giving Izuku a smile. "I may not be well-versed when it comes to women's fashion but you do indeed look good, Midoriya-kun."

"Thank you, Iida-kun." Izuku blushes, embarrassed to be told she looks good by a boy. She had only just gotten used to being complimented by another girl, so the sudden hurdle of the other gender was a bit difficult for her.

"Oh, Uraraka! Is that pics of you girls' outing from yesterday?" Kaminari jumps into the conversation. "Can I have a look too?"

"Sure!" Uraraka smiles as she hands the blonde her phone. Izuku didn't pay much mind to it at first—until she realized what was also amongst the pictures, but it was too late.

Kaminari looks up at Izuku and flashes the freckled girl a smile. "Wow, Midoriya, you look great in those dresses."

Uncomfortable, Izuku can only desperately hide her beet red face in her arms. Kirishima and Sero, both interested in what Kaminari is looking at loom over the blonde's shoulder to peer at the phone's screen.

Seeing what Kaminari means, Kirishima joins in complimenting the embarrassed and shy girl. "He's right, Midoriya, you really do look great."

Sero also agrees, "Yeah!"

At that moment, Izuku wanted to go and find a ditch to hide in from the embarrassment. She is happy to hear such compliments from her classmates; however, the whole notion was much too overwhelming for her current state of comfort.

Seeing the girl's distress, Jirou threatens Kaminari with her earphone jack—causing the dense blonde to shriek. "Stop embarrassing her, you idiots."

Releasing her arm barrier a bit, Izuku gives Jirou a small thankful smile. "Thank you, Jirou-san."

"No problem," Jirou gives the timid girl a little smirk.

While looking at the pictures in Uraraka's phone, a light bulb seems to flash on in Kaminari's mind. The blonde then turns to Sero, motioning in the direction of a certain other blonde in the class with a smirk. Kirishima catches the mischievous expression exchange, a bad feeling sinking in his gut as Kaminari approaches Uraraka again. "Hey Uraraka, could you send these pictures to me? I want to… show a certain person." Kaminari requests, looking over his shoulder to Bakugo who is in his seat.

Uraraka looks around Kaminari to see who he is referring to before nodding. "It's fine, but please delete afterward, Deku-chan wouldn't like it if you kept it."

"That's fine!" Kaminari enters his number into Uraraka's phone, allowing the girl to send him all of the pictures of Izuku all dressed up. "Thanks." Kaminari grins mischievously before he moves with Sero to look over the pictures.

"Hm…" Sero rubs his chin as Kaminari scrolls through the pictures. "I think the one with Midoriya in the punk style is best… He seems like the type who would like that kind of style."

Kaminari clicks his tongue and waves his finger at the black-haired boy. "Nah, it's probably the one with Midoriya dressed like a doll. He's probably a gap moe type and likes cute, delicate girls."

Kirishima puts a hand on Kaminari's shoulder, giving the boy a look of unease. "I don't think that's a good idea, Kaminari."

"It's fine, Kirishima. What's the worst he'll do?" Kaminari smirks, shrugging Kirishima off. "Blow up my phone? Punch me in the face? Yell at me? Trust me, Kirishima, this will be _so_ worth it." The blonde teen pulls the redhead into the group's little huddle. "Now, tell me, which pic do you think Bakugo will like the most?"

Kirishima sighs at the blonde's antics but complies. In truth, he was curious as well to how the usually angry blonde teen would react to the photos himself. "Wouldn't it be the last one? It's the dress that fits Midoriya the best…"

Kaminari promptly scrolls to the picture and nods. "Yeah, you're right. Natural is best."

"So, who's going to do it?" Sero gives the other boys serious looks.

"I'll do it," Kaminari smirks.

 _This will be my revenge for yesterday, Bakugo!_

"Yo, Bakugo!" Kaminari approaches the brooding blonde who leans back in his seat.

"Hah?" Bakugo sneers at the other blonde. "What do you want, doofus face?"

Too excited to let Bakugo's name-calling get to him, Kaminari slides his phone in front of Bakugo. "Take a look at this gem!~"

"Hah? Why the hell do I have to look—" Katsuki begins to growl until his crimson eyes fall on the image on the phone's screen.

There's Izuku—in a feminine navy blue dress with a white button-up blouse tucked underneath the overalls of the dress. Her form was perfectly highlighted by the outfit and her usually wild curly green hair seemed more tame than usual. Katsuki could tell from the light rosy blush on Izuku's cheeks that she is clearly embarrassed but her emerald orbs speak another emotion—joy.

Katsuki cannot help but feel himself shake at the sight of it—those emerald orbs which have only given him looks of fear and sadness, now have joy when looking at someone else. Despite his tremors, Katsuki was in a strange state of calm—he did not feel especially in rage at looking at his childhood friend's awkward smile and clear happiness—however, there was an eerie, stomach-twisting feeling in his gut which he would do anything to get rid of at the moment.

"Oh? Are you at a loss for words? She's really pretty isn't she, Bakugo~" Kaminari teases the strangely silent blonde.

 **Boom!**

Suddenly, Kaminari is in tears as he cries out, "My phone!"

Prompted by the other blonde, Katsuki blows away Kaminari's cell phone as he shouts at the boy. "Hah? Deku is always just Deku—it's not like fucking changing her clothes will change that!"

The abrupt explosion and shout seem to grab everyone's attention to the two blondes with Kirishima and Sero on the sides sighing and Kaminari mourning his phone. Izuku's emerald orbs are drawn straight to Katsuki's ruby ones before the ash blonde teen looks away with a light grunt.

Resting his head on his palm, Katsuki tilts his head to stare at the wall before closing his eyes.

 _Deku shouldn't have changed at all—_

Katsuki recalls images of young Izuku—the young girl with curly green hair tied in pigtails beaming at him with a bright smile—him smiling back—her outstretched hand and worried eyes.

 _—_ _but, she has… hasn't she?_

Images of their middle school years flash in his mind—the young teenage girl with her once long curly green hair cut short and her distraught expressions of fear—him smirking as he peers down at her downtrodden self—her outstretched hand as she desperately reaches for him with tears in her worried eyes.

 _Or was the one who changed—_

* * *

 **This ending though.**

 **It just came out as I was writing and it's perfect omfg.**

 **Anyways, I hope you enjoyed the girl time! I really wish the series would put more of these sort of laid-back moments with everyone hanging out besides during class! This is the kind of stuff I really want to put in fillers XD**

 **I have art up on deviantart (alias: anime-luvrHES) and on tumblr (alias: kingkagura)!**

 **SO, if you have story ideas, please comment!**

 **I hope you enjoyed the story! XD**

 **Next up: OVA 1! Rescue Training!**


	14. Rescue Exercise

**Here's today's update! XD**

 **This chapter has the same events of the 2016 Jump Fest Special though I do have additional scenes!**

 **Once again, if you have filler ideas, please tell me!**

 **Please enjoy the chapter!**

* * *

Four weeks after the USJ incident, Class 1-A find themselves back at the Unforeseen Simulation Joint—or in other words, the USJ—for their long-awaited rescue training class.

"Well—that happened, but class is class." Thirteen declares, "So, let's begin the rescue training."

The class all stare at the astronaut suit-wearing pro hero with expressions of concern. Uraraka is the one to speak up, though. "Can you really move Thirteen-sensei?"

"My back hurts a bit," Thirteen twirls around to face Aizawa whose head and arms are still fully bandaged with both arms in casts, "But it's nothing compared to senpai."

"We are ready to begin class or whatever—I don't really care; let's just start already." Aizawa complains, "We are wasting time." The bandaged man then turns around and begins walking towards the staircase only to be stopped by one of his students.

"Aizawa-sensei," Midoriya Izuku calls out for the seemingly irritated teacher.

Aizawa stops and turns to address the girl with a low hum. "Hmm?"

"Like last time, you, Thirteen-sensei and All Might should be supervising this class, but All Might isn't here." Midoriya prompts before getting to her point, inquiring. "Where is he?"

"I don't know." Aizawa twirls back around with a grunt before walking down the stairs. "Forget about him."

Izuku blinks at Aizawa's receding back as the bandaged teacher gradually climbs down the stairs. _Huh? Did something happen between All Might and Aizawa-sensei?_

Soon, the class follows Aizawa and Thirteen to the mountain zone, gathering the students above a large chasm.

"Now, let's start with the rescue training!" Thirteen announces. "There will be three students at the bottom of the chasm. One of them will be unconscious, the other will have an injured leg and the last will be very worried."

Curious, Kaminari and Kirishima leans over the cliff's edge and look straight into the chasm—however, the two were unable to see anything defining the bottom of the chasm with everything gradiently becoming darker and darker the deeper they go. The two boy release a scream in bewilderment over the chasm's depth.

"What height!" Kirishima yells.

"How are we supposed to get down there?!" Kaminari complains.

"Kirishima-kun, Kaminari-kun, what are you saying?!" Iida shouts, dashing straight for the edge of the chasm. The class rep slides to a halt as he dramatically gets on his knees and leans over to yell into the chasm. "Are you okay?! Do not worry, we will save you!" The glasses-clad boy then leans over, cupping his ear as to listen for a response to come.

"You are way too fast." Kirishima deadpans.

"There isn't even anyone down there yet." Kaminari sweatdrops.

Iida isn't the only one who is excited about this training, Uraraka, as well, is quite energetic. The brunette cannot help but feel fired up as she cheers. "Ohh! Let's save them! Let's do our best, Deku-chan!" As Uraraka's overarching goal is to become a rescue hero, to be able to practice rescuing really makes her excited.

Izuku, who has long idolized All Might who saves people with a smile, is also equally as enthusiastic as Uraraka is. "Yeah! Let's do our best, Uraraka-san!" Izuku looks down at her gloved hands with a small smile which drops into a serious expression. _This power I got from All Might—the power to save!_ She clenches her fists as her emerald eyes narrow in determination.

 _I must learn how to use it!_

"Now, without further ado… the injured will be…" Thirteen announces as he points to the trio of Midoriya, Iida, and Uraraka. "These three decided randomly!"

The originally overexcited trio all stare at their instructor with a blank face—shocked by the sudden development. **_They're going to save us?!_**

Thus, obediently, the trio head down the chasm to await being rescued.

Iida turns to his two friends, declaring. "We must do our best to be injured!"

"Yes!" Uraraka cheers, pumping her fist in the air.

On the other hand, Midoriya frets over the wording Iida had used—though she understood what the earnest boy was trying to say. "We are just pretending… right…?"

"Of course, we are, Midoriya-kun!" Iida proudly proclaims. The bluenette then questions his two companions. "What roles would you two like to play? One of us must act unconscious, another with a broken leg, and another must be worried."

"Iida-kun, you should be the worried one!" Uraraka insists. "And Deku-chan should be the one with a broken leg!"

 _Because I always break my leg?_ Midoriya sighs at the thought. It wasn't like she wished to break her leg at all—it's just that she couldn't control it, One For All. The result is that she always breaks whatever limb she exerts—her body is still incapable of handling the power of One For All at 100%. All Might had said she would gain control be 'feeling' the power of One For All, but, despite how a month and a half have already passed since she had gained that feeling, she still couldn't quite grasp something about the feeling of the quirk. _Is my image not strong enough, perhaps?_

Izuku shakes her head. _No—this isn't the time to think of that. I have to focus on the training!_

"Yeah, that sounds good to me." Izuku nods, agreeing. "That means Uraraka-san will be the unconscious person, right?"

"Yeah!" Uraraka nods with a bright grin.

Meanwhile, back at the top of the cliffs, Aizawa turns towards the rescue team. "Alright, your four are the ones who will rescue them." He addresses the group of Yaoyorozu, Tokoyami, Todoroki, and a shaking Bakugo. "You may use these objects."

"Wait!" Bakugo explodes, "Why do I have to save Deku?!"

"Because this is a filler chapter, Bakugo-chan." Asui quickly retorts.

"Hah?!" Bakugo roars at the frog-like girl.

"Tsuyu-chan, just leave him like that…" Kirishima tries to beckon the girl to stop.

Iida's frantic shouts can be heard from the bottom of the chasm. "Help us! Please!"

"Let's start." Todoroki walks over to the ledge, looming over it as he announces. "Who's going down?"

"You really don't listen, you half-and-half bastard!" Infuriated by the other boy's nerves, Bakugo shouts at Todoroki. "I will have to teach him." The ash blonde teen glares with a rather evil smirk as he blows small explosions in his hand. "Just blow up the mountain and that's it!"

"Are you crazy?!" Yaoyorozu yelps in panic at the very idea.

The rest of the class gives Bakugo mixed expression of concern and exasperation.

"He doesn't think, just acts by instinct." Asui deadpans.

Kaminari picks his nose as he watches on with a derp face. "Midoriya and the rest are in trouble."

Todoroki sighs at the irritated boy's antics, pissing Bakugo off even more as he promptly ignores him to address their other teammates. "Yaoyorozu, create a pulley. We'll make a way to pull them up. Let's start with the person who is unconscious." The half-red-, half-white-haired boy instructs. "Tokoyami will go down. Bakugo, Yaoyorozu and I will pull."

"Wait, you bastard!" Bakugo snaps, charging at Todoroki and grabbing the cold boy by his collar. "Stop deciding things on your own!"

"Bakugo-san!" Yaoyorozu begins as Tokoyami shakes his head.

"This is the best way." Todoroki states.

"Hah?!" Glaring, Bakugo questions.

"If you think of it as a game, you don't have to know," Todoroki claims, causing Bakugo to pause for a moment. The half-red-, half-white-haired boy takes that moment to slap Bakugo's hand away from him before averting his gaze. "I'm not going to waste my time in this training."

 _'_ _Waste my time in this training' you say…?_ A vein pops from Bakugo's head with his eyes dilated and his facial expression contorted in anger. "Who is the one playing?!" Bakugo growls as he turns to Todoroki, with the other boy doing the same.

"Stop!" Yaoyorozu shouts at the boys, causing them to freeze in place. "You both are unseemly! Besides, there is something we must do before anything else!" She scolds the two boys before rushing to the ledge and bending down. The ponytail girl calls out to the 'injured' people at the bottom of the chasm in a reassuring tone. "Everyone, please keep calm! We will go to you right away!"

Reacting immediately, Iida raises his arms in the air and shouts back. "Please, hurry!"

"You're finally here!" Midoriya has her hand raised as she returns with a more awkward sounding, almost monotone voice. "We're saved."

Yaoyorozu turns back to her arguing teammates. "The first thing to do is to reassure the victims." She lectures, snapping Bakugo out of his earlier rage with logic. "There are occasions where you can not save people who are desperate and panicking. Reassuring them is related to saving them."

Todoroki stands up as Bakugo clicks his tongue, both understanding that their approaches were wrong.

"If you will not do it properly, what kind of training class is this?!" Yaoyorozu focuses on Todoroki with a glare.

Todoroki stares at the girl with understanding, his mouth parts as if to say something—but no words make its way out of his mouth.

In the meantime, the class who is watching in the sidelines all stare in awe at Yaoyorozu's passion.

"Impressive." Kirishima comments, very impressed by the girl's tenacity. "Yaoyorozu's good."

"Yeah…" Mineta agrees as he kneels down and trains his eyes forward—right on Yaoyorozu's exposed butt. The perverted boy wipes away the drool escaping his mouth. "Yes, very good."

"You're garbage!" Kirishima snaps at the perverted boy.

Soon enough, the rescue team pulls through with Todoroki's initial plan. Yaoyorozu creates a pulley system to hang the rope with while Todoroki uses his ice as an armor for the mountain's ledge so the friction from the rope does not cause any problems. Tokoyami gradually scales the mountainside in the dark shadows as Bakugo and Todoroki make sure that the rope he hangs from does not suddenly fall.

"Tokoyami-san," Yaoyorozu calls out to the descending boy, instructing. "Descend slowly using the rope."

"Yeah." Tokoyami replies as he makes his way to the bottom of the chasm.

"Hi, Tokoyami-kun," Midoriya greets the dark bird-like boy.

Tokoyami replies, "Sorry for the wait."

At the sight of Tokoyami, Iida immediately moves his attention to the supposedly unconscious Uraraka. Tears stream down the class rep's eyes as he encourages the girl who tries to hold back her giggles. "Uraraka-kun, there's no problem! We are going to be ok!"

"Alright, let's take Uraraka up since she lost consciousness." Tokoyami declares.

"Understood!" Midoriya reflexively responds only to wither when she realizes that they cannot help. "But, we can't. We can't move our legs, so we can't help."

"Isn't it dangerous for a sole person to carry an unconscious one?" Iida questions the dark rescuer.

Tokoyami chuckles. "Do not worry." The dark bird-like boy's cape flows up in the air as a shadow of him pops out from his body with glowing yellow eyes. "I am already two in one."

The 'injured' trio all gasp in awe at Tokoyami's display of his Quirk, _Dark Shadow_.

Tokoyami examines the level of darkness. _In this darkness, I should manage._ The boy then turns to order his Quirk. "Dark Shadow, take Uraraka up."

"Shut up." Dark Shadow complains as he crosses his arms.

"Quickly," Tokoyami orders.

Dark Shadow clicks its tongue. "I just have to do that, right?" Dark Shadow reluctantly moves to Uraraka, placing the girl inside the lifeboat.

"Take her up slowly. Don't let her get harmed." Tokoyami instructs his Quirk as Dark Shadow begins lifting the raft up carefully.

Dark Shadow complains, "Geez."

Izuku watches the Quirk at work with her large emerald eyes as she praises, "Dark Shadow is such an amazing Quirk."

"It's a useful tool, even if you can't separate from it," Tokoyami replies.

"Ahh—I don't think he's a tool." Izuku squeals in a tone of amazement, causing Tokoyami to look down at the girl in curiosity. "He can always help you!" Sparkles surround Izuku as her peridot orbs glitter. "How cool!"

Tokoyami's dark eyes dilate at the girl's praise and enthusiasm before averting his gaze with a small blush feathering his cheeks. _What a strange girl._ Dark Shadow reaches the light area and allows for the people above to pull the raft up the rest of the way.

"Secured!" Yaoyorozu's voice echoes through the chasm to the three at the bottom.

In tears, Iida screams his response. "Thank you, Heroes!"

Yaoyorozu releases a small hum at the sight of Uraraka's uncontrollable silent laughter. The ponytail girl tilts her head in confusion. "Uraraka-san, what are you laughing about?"

Uraraka can no longer help herself—letting go of her self-control she lets her out spit from laughter as she explains. "It's just that Iida-kun is super serious. Pffft! It's funny." The brunette's legs kick as she tries to take control of herself again.

"I think Iida-san's seriousness is wonderful," Yaoyorozu comments, "It's not a laughing matter."

"I'm sorry. I know, but…Pfft!" Uraraka sits up and spits out a laugh again before a giggle fit comes.

As Yaoyorozu is helping the laughing girl out from the raft, Todoroki bends down to prepare for the next rescue. "Let's pull the next one up."

"Shut up, don't order me around." Bakugo spits out as he too bends down to prepare for the next rescue, untangling the rope so that they can use it again.

"Rescuing people without using your Quirk is quite a taxing job." Thirteen beams, "That's how modern heroes must be!"

Sero interjects, pointing at Bakugo. "He's the only one who is only pulling, though."

"You're so noisy! Shut up!" Bakugo turns around to shout and glares at Sero.

Thirteen announces, "He judged he could not use his Quirk, that's the correct decision."

"Huh?" Sero questions.

"Acting in a normal way." Thirteen elaborates. "There's a lot of professionals who are incapable of doing it. They always think of themselves and when they encounter a challenging situation, they put it aside. When you manage to understand and remember this, you pass." Thirteen turns to look at Bakugo who is silently pulling the rope. Perhaps it was the way Thirteen was talking about him, but even the class could swear that Bakugo looked like he was shining brightly under the sunlight. "I'm sure he will become a wonderful Hero."

"No," Sero rubs his chin as he retorts. "He'll never be 'wonderful'…"

Bakugo grits his teeth, a vein popping at Sero's comment. _I will kill that bastard later… that soy sauce face bastard…!_

Once the raft is back on the bottom of the chasm, Tokoyami uses his Dark Shadow to lift Midoriya into the raft. "Dark Shadow, take Midoriya up."

"Yeah, yeah." Dark Shadow complains but complies, picking up the raft and helping it up. Izuku cannot control the sparkly aura around her as she observes Dark Shadow in action and experiences the Quirk at first hand.

Upon reaching the light section of the ascent, Dark Shadow loosened its hold on the raft. Izuku promptly thanks the Quirk, "Thank you, Dark Shadow!" The green-haired girl with a supposedly injured leg which is now bandaged up is then continuously lifted back to the top of the canyon.

Once Izuku arrives, she is being pulled to the top by Yaoyorozu, Todoroki and Bakugo—however, suddenly the ice which the rope was scraping against breaks off, causing the raft Izuku was laying on to sway and fall slightly. Izuku shrieks slightly, startled. "Eek!"

Quickly reacting to both the change of force and the shriek, Bakugo grips the rope in his hands harder, so hard that he could slightly feel the burn through his gloves. The irritated ash blonde shouts at his slower-reacting teammates, "Ponytail pull harder and Half-and-Half hurry the fuck up and freeze that thing!"

Despite disliking the commanding tone, Todoroki hastened to refreeze the ledge—this was no time to argue and he couldn't allow a classmate to get hurt during his training where he had to rescue them. He then quickly returns to pull on the rope with his other two teammates, dragging the raft along with Midoriya onto the cliff's ledge.

Once Midoriya is back at the surface, Yaoyorozu bends over to shout down the ledge, "Secured!"

The green-haired girl's heart was still rapidly beating from the nearly critical event. If the rescue team hadn't reacted so fast, she would have fallen back down the chasm. Though she was pretty confident either Tokoyami or Iida would catch her, that sort of fall would have left her actually dead or injured.

"I'm so sorry, Midoriya-san." Yaoyorozu apologizes to the still trembling girl, giving her eyes full of concern. "Are you all right? Can you stand?"

Izuku releases a long breath, trying to calm her heart to no real avail, but she smiles at the ponytail girl. "Y-Yeah, I can stand." Izuku begins to prop herself up to get to her feet and even manages to do so—but, when she tries to take a step out of the raft, she quickly realizes that her legs haven't quite calmed down enough and feel like jelly.

Izuku's emerald orbs dilate as she quickly approaches the ground once again and shuts her eyes just before impact with the ground. Or at least what should have been an impact with the ground. Instead of hitting the dirt, Izuku feels herself floating—but not in a sense of Uraraka's Zero Gravity. Rather, it was more like someone was holding her in the air by the back of her collar—in fact, it was exactly that sort of feeling.

"Don't fucking move if you can't, useless Deku." Opening her jade eyes, Izuku promptly turns to face the familiar irritated glare from Katsuki and blinks. _…Kacchan… saved me?_ Izuku couldn't quite wrap her head around the idea, but it seemed as if Katsuki had picked her up before she had fallen. "Don't make this fucking training worse than it is!" Katsuki flips Izuku and throws her on the ground so she lands on her butt.

"Bakugo-san!" Yaoyorozu immediately scolds Bakugo for his rough treatment. "Don't treat Midoriya-san in such way after she just had such an experience!"

 _Wait, no Yaoyorozu-san… that was actually—_ Izuku is about to speak up but Katsuki beats her to it.

"Yeah, yeah." Katsuki shrugs the lecture off and moves back to Todoroki and the rope. "Let's just get Glasses and end this fucking training."

 _—_ _that was actually Kacchan being gentler than usual…_ Izuku's mouth is parted but the word won't come out of her mouth. Instead, the green-haired girl smiles at the ponytail girl. "Thank you, Yaoyorozu-san." She then turns to watch Katsuki's receding back, muttering. "Thanks, Kacchan."

Yaoyorozu gives Izuku one last checkup before she leaves the green-haired girl to help her team in rescuing Iida. Uraraka joins Izuku, holding out her hand with a small grin. "Need a lift?"

"Thanks," Izuku takes the brunette's hand and Uraraka helps the girl back to her feet. The tremors have now disappeared and Izuku could feel her legs once again.

"Pfft!" Uraraka points to the dramatically crying Iida and giggles as the tall blue-haired boy is carried by Dark Shadow as Tokoyami ascends back to the top. Izuku watches them with a small smile of her own as she questions Uraraka about what exactly she is laughing about.

After the first rescue training, there were no other drastic incidents regarding the rest and all of them had ended quite smoothly.

"Everyone, that was great for the first time!" Thirteen praises the class, "We still have a battle scenario prepared. In a nutshell, there's still lots to do."

"Well, all of that did happen…" Kaminari comments.

"Don't let your guard down." Aizawa's harsh tone causes Kaminari to flinch. "Class is still in session."

After a small lecture at the mountaintop, the class moves to the ruins zone.

"Now we continue in this setting." Thirteen begins explaining. "Unlike the first training, there are different situations. The purpose of this scenario is to give a more genuine experience. The injured can be anywhere and we don't know what state they may be in." The rescue pro continues, "You'll have 8 minutes to spread out and 4 of your will be the rescuers. The other 16 must hide in whichever place they wish, however, 8 of the hidden may not speak. I will select them."

Ashido raises her hand with a bright smile and beams, "So, it's like Hide-and-Seek?!" The pink girl turns around to her classmates and exclaims. "We're playing Hide-and-Seek!"

"To be precise, almost." Thirteen corrects the excited girl. "Okay, the four that will search shall be…" Thirteen twirls around and points out the individuals who will make up the rescue team. "…these four!"

Bakugo, Mineta, Uraraka, and Izuku stand in a line after Thirteen had appointed them as the rescue team. Of course, it only takes a matter of seconds before Bakugo blows up. "Why do I have to do it with Deku?!"

Izuku flinches away from the outburst as Uraraka explains. "It can't be helped! This is a filler chapter, after all!"

"Screw that! What the fuck is a filler chapter?!" Bakugo screeches.

"Now, now." Kirishima jumps in, trying to pacify the raging blonde. "We can research that later."

Mineta's eyes are bloodshot as he stares at Ashido's and Asui's butts and mutters. "When you carry the victims you can touch their chests or their ass! Is that considered an evil deed?"

Midoriya, who is behind Mineta, deadpans. "You're forbidden from carrying them, Mineta-kun."

"You have 2 minutes to hide." Thirteen announces. "Now, let the training start!" The astronaut-looking pro hero gives the rescue team some advice. "Don't forget that no situation is strange in this case." Thirteen raises his arm, announcing for the training to begin. "Now, start!"

Immediately, Izuku turns to her teammates. "Alright! Let's look nearby first!"

"Don't order me around!" Katsuki shouts at the green-haired girl. "Just follow me, garbage!" The ash blonde teen orders before taking off with some small explosion from his hands, boosting him into the air.

Mineta is thrown back after being hit by the explosion but quickly recovers to scream at the blonde. "What's with that guy?! He's too rash!"

 _I wasn't exactly expecting Kacchan to actually work together with us, but…_ "It can't be helped." Izuku turns to Uraraka. "Let's search for the ones who can speak first." The brunette nods and gives her an affirmative grunt before Izuku turns to Mineta. "A lot of time has passed since the fight, let's go!"

"Ok!" Mineta raises a thumb up.

"Let's go!" Uraraka pumps her fist in the air as the trio splits up to cover more ground.

Meanwhile, in a certain ruined building, a lone boy sits and glares at nothing in particular with his heterochronic eyes—one gray and one turquoise, yet both cold and emotionless.

 _"_ _Shouto."_

 _"_ _You can't give up now."_

 _"_ _Since you are my successor."_

The words echo through Todoroki Shouto's head—annoying and persistent like a fly buzzing in his ear. Todoroki clicks his tongue.

"I will not become what you want."

Todoroki scowls as he clenches his fist. The boy is furious—a raging fire under the cold frost of ice. He is too deep in his rage to notice how far he is falling—how cold his fingers are now without any warmth.

"What a face." An intrusive deep voice snaps Todoroki out of his trance.

The half-red-, half-white-haired boy hastily stands up, facing where the voice had come from. "Who's there?!"

Suddenly, the rubble not too far away from the teen explodes as a large, muscular figure comes out from it behind a huge cloud of dust. "I don't think that's the face of a Hero." As the cloud fades, it reveals an extremely large man wearing a gas mask with horns on it.

Todoroki glares at the figure. _Really, who the hell is this?_

The intruder tilts his head from side to side, letting his neck crack as it stretches. "It's a simple facade." The muscular man rolls his shoulders as he approaches the teen.

 _A mask, during the attack…_ Todoroki's mind races as he braces himself for combat. _Can it be?_

 _He was hidden?!_

In a flash, Todoroki allows his cold right side to send a speedy wave of ice—however, the villain disappears from his sight.

"Too slow!" The deep voice calls from behind the teen, causing Todoroki to twirl around.

A hand swings in the air.

Meanwhile, with the rescue team, Midoriya hears a familiar voice calling out from amidst the rubble. "Hey! Help!"

Rushing to the voice, Izuku kneels down to look down the hole, finding a waving blonde teen in a martial arts yukata. "I found Ojiro-kun!" Izuku reports to her teammates.

"Midoriya!" Ojiro waves to the green-haired girl.

Izuku smiles at the boy as he reassures him, "Wait a moment! I'll get you out!" The girl calls over Mineta for his assistance as she grabs a long pipe. She then instructs the boy to put his Quirk on the pole.

"I see. You'll use my spheres." Mineta notes as he places the purple balls from his head onto the metal pipe.

Izuku places pieces of rectangular, flat rubble onto the sphere to create steps. "This way we can build a safe way to climb."

Once the makeshift ladder is finished, Izuku carries it over the hole, sliding it down to prop it against the ground. "Ojiro-kun! Use this to climb!"

"I see!" Ojiro responds, his tail wagging before he begins to climb up the ladder.

Mineta turns to Izuku giving the girl praise. "You really came up with something clever!"

A bit shy because of the compliment, Izuku rubs the back of her with a small blush dusting her cheeks. "I've always like to think about the applications of Hero's Quirks."

In the meantime, not too far away, Uraraka uses her Quirk to float a car into the air. "Kyouka-chan, found!" The brunette cheers as the purple-haired girl stands up.

Jirou sighs as she rubs the back of her head. "I was so sure you wouldn't find me."

"Uraraka-kun! Jirou-kun!" The sudden desperate scream from Iida causes both to turn to the direction the boy is coming from.

"Huh?" Jirou questions, confused. "Wasn't he one of the injured?"

"Run away!" Iida extends his arms, tackling the two girls to the floor as an explosion rolls above them, dust clouds streaming past their heads.

The vibrations from the cause of the explosion draw the attention of all the students in the area.

Uraraka groans as she, Jirou, and Iida begin to sit up. "What happened?"

"It's a villain!" Iida explains hastily, causing the two girls to give him shocked expressions.

As if on cue, from the smoke, a large figure enters the scene.

"What is he doing here?" questions Uraraka.

"Was he hiding?" Jirou joins the inquiry.

More of the smoke clears, making the villain's large and muscular figure more obvious along with what he is carrying in his hands. Both Uraraka and Jirou gasp at the sight.

"It can't be! Impossible!" Uraraka gasps, her chocolate eyes wide and shaking. "Todoroki-kun?!"

The villain continues to approach the three students with Todoroki hanging in his hands by his costume.

"The strongest in the class…" Jirou manages to mutter out in horror.

Iida runs forward, in front of the girls. "That's why you should hurry to Sensei!"

"But…" Uraraka retorts.

Having heard the commotion, several students head to the scene.

"A villain?!" Izuku gasps out at the sight of the muscular man.

Mineta flinches back. "It can't be…!"

On the other side, Yaoyorozu, Kaminari, Kirishima, Tokoyami, and Sero stare at the villains' back in shock.

"Oh, no…!" Yaoyorozu gasps.

Kirishima shouts, "Are you serious?!"

As the students all stare in horror at another appearance from a villain, Ojiro rushes to the teachers. "Sensei, a villain!"

"What a situation." Aizawa proclaims, "We are injured and cannot fight."

"Then…!" Ojiro exclaims, in a mild panic.

"Then... " Thirteen frets, glancing around as he tries to find a solution. "Run! Quickly, head to the exit!"

"You won't escape." The villain roars as he raises his foot in the air, "I will finish you all!" The villain stomps on the ground, creating a huge explosion and knocking away the whole street around him. With just a single stomp, the villain had created his own arena by pushing away the buildings and streets. '

"What the hell is this?!" Mineta screams as the students recover from the sudden shockwave.

"He's hella strong!" Kaminari shrieks, backing away with wide eyes.

"Such a guy was always hidden this whole time?!" Kirishima questions, bewildered.

"All right…" The villain sneers, "Now the terrain is clear. Not a single one of you will escape!"

Thirteen, recovering from the earlier attack quickly gets back on his feet, calling out to the students. "Everyone, hurry up and run away!"

There is a flash of light and a certain growl followed by an explosion as Bakugo Katsuki charges into the scene. Having blasted the villain in the face, Bakugo jumps back. The ash blonde boy yells at his classmates. "You run!" With a dangerous glare, Bakugo snarls at the villain. "I will defeat him!"

"You have guts to decide something like that in such a moment!" The villain taunts.

Katsuki roars as he rushes forward towards the villain.

"What an idiot! Why doesn't he think?!" Mineta screeches out with tears brimming his eyes. "It's obvious he's way stronger!"

 _You're wrong._

Izuku stares at Katsuki's brave figure as the ash blonde teen rushes at the villain, fighting the intimidating figure like he would usually. Izuku clenches her fist as her jade orbs narrow in focus on the villain as Katsuki throws a barrage of explosions at the villain—only for the villain to block every single one of his fast pitches. _Kacchan is not the kind of person who does not think._

Izuku's lips part as the revelation hits her.

 _He's doing what he must, just as he would!_

"It's over!" The villain shouts as he reaches for the ash blonde boy.

"Watch out!" Iida call out, seeing the impending attack.

However, Katsuki reacts faster. The raging blonde uses an explosion from his hand to boost him above and around the villain as the ground where his feet were on shatters from the villain's palm. Using another explosion, Katsuki reaches for the villain's arm, igniting another explosion which blows him over to Iida's side.

"Hey! Don't go worrying about others!" Katsuki shouts at the class rep. "Don't just stand there! Make those weaklings run away!"

Iida takes offense to these words and begins marching up to Bakugo. "Why do you always have to insult others?!"

Before a fight can break out, Kirishima's voice breaks through the conversation. "Hey, hey—Bakugo." The redhead draws the two boys' attention to him and the rest of the students on the top of the rubble. "What do you mean by 'those weaklings'?"

"We are the 20 students of class A." Yaoyorozu declares.

Uraraka shouts, "We will all be Heroes, you know!"

"Everyone!" Izuku smiles at her classmates.

The villain laughs. "How brave. However," He pumps his fist in the air, causing the debris lying around to fly in the air at the students.

"Leave it to me!" Aoyama calls out as he arches his back, aiming his navel laser at the debris, annihilating a lot of them. Kirishima charges forward, grunting as he destroys a debris with his hardened hand. Similarly, Satou punches a flying rubble piece, breaking it into pieces.

Jirou inserts an earphone jack into one of her speakers, using the vibrations to hold the villain in his place. Then, Sero aims his tape at the villain, wrapping his arms up as Yaoyorozu creates a cannon which shoots a net to capture the villain.

"Now!" Yaoyorozu signals for the rest of the class to charge.

"Let's go! Class A!" Iida shouts as he and others rush toward the restrained villain.

However, the villain quickly breaks free from his restraints—the force causes the students to fly away from him.

"To think you would all come to attack me…" The villain chuckles. "It's unexpected, but with something so simple, I—"

Suddenly, Katsuki is there—behind the villain, his explosive hand reaching for the villains face. Izuku gasps as the villain catches Katsuki's explosion, blocking its damage. Quickly, Katsuki jumps to the ground before swiftly using an explosion to boost his dodge against the villain's incoming strike. With another explosion, Katsuki boosts himself in order to deliver a roundhouse kick only to be blocked. His every attack is either blocked or dodged by the villain.

"Kac-chan…!" Izuku stares at Katsuki as he tenaciously continues to fight the villain. _Kacchan hasn't given up—then I can't either!_ Her emerald orbs grow wide as a plan builds in her mind.

"Iida-kun, Mineta-kun, Uraraka-san, Asu—Tsuyu-chan!" Izuku draws the attention of her friends as she stands up, staring at Katsuki as he attempts to defeat the villain with determined peridot eyes. "I have an idea!"

With a wave of his hand, the villain pushes Katsuki back by the wind pressure created by the movement. Katsuki can feel himself wear. As expected, consecutive attacks over and over with little lag against an opponent that seems to feel little of its effects was difficult. However, Katsuki wouldn't give up—not with an enemy in front of his eyes.

"It seems you are tired." The villain cracks his neck as he stretches it from side-to-side. "Time to end this."

Not with Izuku there, in the field across from him, with those determined emerald eyes that are lit in hope.

 _She has a plan._

Katsuki laughs as he pushes himself back onto his feet. "Don't make me laugh!" He flashes a large smirk of teeth. "I'm barely getting started!"

"Now!" Izuku shouts as she starts dashing forward.

Uraraka holds up her hand as Izuku passes by her, giving her a high five. "Here I go!" The brunette activates her Quirk, making the green-haired girl lighter.

"Asui-san!" Izuku calls out as she jumps into their air slightly and Asui's long tongue wraps around her waist.

"Call me 'Tsuyu-chan'!" Asui corrects Izuku as she flings her towards the villain.

With the combination of Uraraka's Zero Gravity and Asui's powerful tongue, Izuku goes flying towards the villain at a great speed. Meanwhile, Katsuki charges at the villain, blowing an explosion in the man's face.

"No matter how much you try…" The villain begins to taunt only to stop when he notices the incoming green-haired girl.

Izuku extends her hand with Mineta's super sticky purple sphere in it as she approaches the villain and just as the girl is almost by him, Uraraka releases her Quirk. This allows Izuku to drop just enough to snag Todoroki's costume with Mineta's purple ball, letting the girl dash forward with Todoroki in hand.

The sudden action causes both Katsuki and the villain to gasp in shock.

"She got him out at the same time as the explosion?!" The villain mutters.

In the sideline, Uraraka cheers. "She did it!"

Once Izuku slides to a stop, she slips off the glove connected to Todoroki and uses the hand that was inside to balance her other hand as she aims her finger at the villain. "Here it goes." Focusing One For All into her middle finger, Izuku flicks the power at the villain. " **Smash!** "

A great force is emitted from the flick, causing the dust to kick up and the smaller debris laying around to fly in the air. Despite this humongous power, the villain is not blown away.

Shocked, Izuku gasps out. "I-It didn't work?"

"Weaklings should step aside!" Katsuki shouts at the girl as he boosts himself forward with an explosion. As the ash blonde teen flies forward, he brings his hand forward and builds up sweat in his palms which causes them to glow brighter and begin to steam. "I will kill him!"

The villain breaks out of the restraint that Izuku's earlier attack had given him just as Katsuki slides to a halt in front of him.

"Die!" Katsuki screams as he brings his hands forward and sets off a huge explosion—pushing the villain back into the trap that was set for him.

The villain grunts as he lands on Mineta's sticky purple spheres which are set on a concrete debris slab.

"He did it!" Mineta cheers, jumping in the air. "The plan worked perfectly! Now he can't move!"

"Yes!" Iida confirms with a nod. "He flew straight towards the spheres!" The class rep calls out to his green-haired friend. "Just as you planned, Midoriya-kun!"

Izuku smiles at her classmates in relief. "That's good."

"Deku-chan!" Uraraka and Asui approach the green-haired girl. The brunette gives the girl a thumb up and a big grin. "We did it!"

"Impressive!" Asui compliments the other girl.

"Thank you!" Izuku smiles, "It was thank to all of you! And also..." Izuku tilts her head to focus on Katsuki's receding back. _The one that understood my plan and followed it until the end by sending the villain flying with an explosion…_

Her blonde childhood friend's back looks so strong and cool.

 _You are really so amazing._

Izuku does not hide the smile nor the sparkle in her jade eyes as she stares at Katsuki in amazement.

"I-I can't move…" The villain struggles against the purple spheres, trying to break free.

Meanwhile, Katsuki is approaching with a great glare and a dangerous smirk. "Now it's time for the final touch, shitty villain!"

Katsuki slowly raises his arms as the villain struggles against the restraint, appearing to be panicking. "W-Wait! I-I!" After some very desperate struggling, the villain manages to get his gas mask off—revealing his true face. " **I am here!** "

" **All Might?!** "

All Might laughs loudly as the other teachers sigh. "To tell you the truth, I wanted to make a surprise where a villain appeared in the end." The rest of the class join Bakugo in surrounding the Symbol of Peace as the man continues to explain. "You know how the other day that happened… But you did a great job, I wouldn't expect any less from the Hero course…" All Might trails off as he notices the dark expressions on his all of his students' faces. A bead of sweat rolls down All Might's face. "That… I'm sorry."

 **"** **You went overboard, All Might!"** The class shouts at their teacher before several of them proceed to beat the No. 1 Hero out of punishment.

"What the hell were you thinking?!" Katsuki roars in rage.

All Might cries out in tears as he continues to be beat up. "I'm sorry!"

Noticing the boy behind her walking over to the group, Izuku turns around to greet him. "Ah, Todoroki-kun!"

Katsuki turns around as well to yell at the other boy. "You were in on this shitty surprise too?!"

Todoroki lowers his head as he recalls the event in which All Might had requested for his help.

 _"_ _Will you help me?"_

"My bad," Todoroki mutters.

Meanwhile, All Might who has finally stopped getting beat by the students is shedding tears as Ashido fumes. "You're cruel, All Might!"

"I'm sorry… it wasn't serious." All Might cries.

"However, Midoriya-kun harmed her finger!" Iida points out as he repeatedly lifts his glasses, "Don't you think that's a bad image for the school!"

"Don't do it again, All Might!" Uraraka pouts as she scolds the older man. "Right, Deku-chan?" Uraraka and Iida both turn in time to see Izuku drop onto her butt in relief.

The usually timid green-haired girl gives them a large relieved smile. "Well, I'm glad it was just a surprise…!"

Izuku's two friends pause, their anger slipping away due to their friend's relieved grin, allowing them to exhale a sigh.

At Izuku's kind words, All Might sparkles and mutters. "Young Midoriya…" However, this gains him the disdain of the class once again.

"Don't go 'young Midoriya'!"

"I won't let you!" All Might finally manages to free himself and begins escaping from his students' wrath.

In the back, Todoroki watches the smiling green-haired girl on the floor for a moment as Uraraka approaches her in concern. "Deku-chan, let's hurry and go see Recovery Girl!"

"Ah—yeah!" Izuku responds with a small smile.

Todoroki turns and walks away from his classmates, heading for the exit. The ice part of Todoroki's costume seems to fray as the blue crystal-like particles flow through the air—breaking and disintegrating into tiny pieces.

* * *

 **How was it? I hope you liked those little BakuDeku scenes XD**

 **There were also other hints of pairings but that's just the DekuBowl at work.**

 **Also, while writing this chapter I was thinking... 'How in the world am I going to get Deku to love Kacchan?'**

 **Like I can see the path of Kacchan falling for Deku but Deku is a whole other story. She is an oblivious girl who is too focused on hero training to even bat a real eye on romance unless others point it out to her... lol.**

 **Oh well, I'll probably figure it out!**

 **Anyways, if you have any filler ideas or just general scenes that you would want to see, please comment!**

 **I hope you enjoyed the chapter!~**


	15. Preparations

**Heyya! Sorry, it's a bit later, I got sleepy (at 2 am) and so I didn't get to finish until now (after I woke up feeling refreshed)!**

 **Anyways, here is the last filler before the Sports Festival arc begins!**

 **Again, feel free to send in any ideas!**

 **I hope you enjoy the chapter!**

* * *

The school bell chimes throughout the school, marking the end of class.

"Bakugo!" Kirishima approaches the ash blonde teen just as he is about to leave his seat.

"What is it, shitty hair!" Bakugo Katsuki retorts, rudely.

"How many times do I need to tell you… It's Kirishima Eijirou!" The redhead deadpans, "We literally see each other almost every day. You could at least remember my name, man!"

Katsuki ignores the redhead's statement and huffs. "So, what do you want then?"

"Are you staying after school today for self-training?" inquires Kirishima, curious.

"Why are you asking such a stupid question?" Katsuki shouts at Kirishima in irritation, but he continues to elaborate. "I can't practice my Quirk at home for obvious reasons and, if I'm outside and use it, I cause too much of a commotion." The ash blonde teen growls, "Goddammit, are you here to report on me or some shit?"

Katsuki was extremely irritated. He had wanted to leave class as soon as possible in order to get in as much practice as the school would allow him to stay for after all, and the redhead was preventing him from maximizing his time.

"Well, I guess it's totally funny how you can pass as a villain with all those explosions and destruction you cause in the city if you use your Quirk." Kirishima agrees as he rubs the back of his neck. "And you're definitely not approachable with that scary face." The redhead's voice lifts at the end with a mild chuckle.

"Who the fuck are you calling scary?!" Katsuki yells at the redhead, slamming his hand on his desk. "Did you just come here to tell me that shit?"

"No! Not at all!" Kirishima raises his hands in defense. "Actually, I have a question for you." Getting to the point, Kirishima questions. "Bakugo, just what training are you doing?"

"Hah?" Katsuki exhales.

"Well, I mean… we won't know what kind of events are being held at the Sports Festival until the day of, right?" Kirishima elaborates, "So, even if I practice, I really don't know what I should focus on the most for my Quirk."

"Are you fucking dumb?" Katsuki growls, arching an eyebrow at the redhead. "All first years participate in the Sports Festival! Why the hell would I want to tell you exactly what to prepare for since we're competing against each other, dumbass?"

"Well, it's not like we would be able to guess what the event is anyway. So, how about it?" Kirishima puts a hand on the irritated Katsuki's shoulder as he insists. "We're classmates after all…"

"Don't get all chummy with **me**!" Katsuki snarls as he shoves the other boy away.

"Aw, come on! Don't be like that!" Kirishima persists.

"Shut the fuck up!" Katsuki shouts at the redhead's face.

The commotion from Bakugo and Kirishima draws eyes of the remaining students in the classroom. It wasn't as if seeing Kirishima with Bakugo was all too surprising or anything—ever since the USJ incident the two have seemed to be on friendlier terms, after all. Or, well, Kirishima at least treats the angry blonde with a lot more than the original grudging respect that most of the classmates still have towards the rude teen.

"Ohh!" Ashido calls out from her seat across the row. The pink girl points out the irritated blonde to her brunette friend. "Hey, look Bakugo is all mad again!"

The sudden interjection causes Katsuki to turn his attention to his other classmates. "Black Eyes—"

"A-shi-do Mi-na!" The pink-haired girl corrects the boy.

Katsuki switches his gaze from the pink girl to the brunette, "—and Round Face?"

"Uraraka Ochako!" The brunette girl retorts.

"Bakugo," Ashido sighs in exasperation, "You still can't remember your classmates' names?"

"Or more like…" Uraraka deadpans, "I think he is purposefully not learning our names."

"Obviously!" Katsuki shouts, "Why in the fuck would I want to input your names into my brain, you idiots?! Imma kill you all!"

"Geh, he has such a potty mouth," Ashido complains.

Uraraka jumps in to fix the atmosphere. "Hey Bakugo-kun, why are you always so mad?" The brunette contemplates. "Light consumes energy, calories burn that way. So maybe you need to take more calcium—"

"Shut the fuck up, round face!" Katsuki cuts the girl off, even more irritated. Others have already made the calcium joke to him—namely Kaminari and Sero—so, hearing it once again only made the angry ash blonde teen more pissed off. "Who gave you the right to go off about random unrelated shit like that?! Just shut up and die!"

Ignoring the grumpy boy's rampage, Ashido approaches him and Kirishima, nudging the redhead. "Hey, hey, Kirishima. What were you and Bakugo talking about?"

"Oh," Kirishima answers, "Uh… I just wanted to ask him what kind of practice he was doing to prep for the Sports Festival."

"So, he refused and kicked you?" Ashido finishes.

Kirishima turns away and nods in defeat. "Yeah,"

"He probably said something like," Ashido coughs for a moment before she puts on a glaring face and impersonates Bakugo. " _All of you are my enemies! Roar!_ —or something like that, right?"

Katsuki slams his fist on his desk, snapping at the pink girl. "Don't put your dumbass words into my mouth! Imma fucking kill you!"

"I see," Uraraka mutters, "So you've also been practicing."

"But really, it's pretty difficult to figure out what to practice if we don't even know what kind of events will be held at the festival…" Ashido sighs, distraught.

"If we look at the events from past Sports Festivals, we know that there's always some kind of individual race, a team battle, and then individual battles between the remaining 16," Kirishima notes in contemplation. "But it's always different like the rules would change just slightly or something."

"Obviously, dumbass!" Katsuki interrupts, ridiculing the idiotic redhead.

Ashido is quick to pounce. "What do you mean?"

"Have you idiots never watched the old Sports Festivals before?" Katsuki sneers, "The U.A. Sports Festival isn't just a competition. It's to put you on your toes and see how you react to various situation when you least expect it. It's the way of filtering out the talented heroes to show them to the pros." Katsuki explains, "They always come up with some kind of surprise, like an accident or something to keep us baited. In conclusion, it's useless thinking about it." Katsuki growls, "If you don't get it then go die—or better yet, I'll just kill you instead!"

"Ohh!" Both Ashido and Uraraka exclaim in amazement of Bakugo's knowledge and analysis.

Irked by the two girls' reactions, Katsuki snarls. "What the hell is that reaction?"

"No—it just looked like you really know your stuff and I became genuinely impressed!" Uraraka explains in an attempt to pacify the blonde.

"That's Bakugo for you," Kirishima beams, praising Bakugo. "No wonder he placed first in the entrance exams!"

Ashido nods with enthusiasm. "Right! He's not just a complete dick!"

"What the fuck do you mean by that?!" Katsuki snaps, shouting at the trio.

"But, seeing as he's put a lot of thought into the Sports Festival…" Kirishima ponders for a moment before a lightbulb flashes in his mind. The redhead turns to Bakugo with a large toothy grin. "Bakugo! You really want to win this, right?!"

"What do you mean _want_ to win?!" roars Katsuki in irritation before he declares. "I _will_ win!" The ash blonde teen's crimson orbs narrow in determination. "I'm not interested in anything but the top! It doesn't matter what bastards come at me, I'll just eliminate them—of course, including you guys!"

"That's right." Ashido brushes off the threat as she comments. "Bakugo definitely would be a candidate for the top place!"

"I don't need 'candidate'—I'm going to **win**!" Katsuki declares.

Kirishima waves his hands in order to pacify the blonde. "All right, all right, we get it."

"Hey Uraraka," Ashido turns to Uraraka, "Besides Bakugo, who else do you think could win?"

"Hmm…" Uraraka stretches her lips as she contemplates, tilting her body slightly. "Well, I'm not too familiar with the people in Class B, but if we're talking about Class A, then I think Todoroki-kun, who entered through a recommendation, would definitely be a candidate!"

"Yeah, that's right," Kirishima nods, agreeing with the brunette. "Todoroki is definitely awesome with how he can use both fire and ice—it can be used as both offense and defense… plus he can immediately activate one after the other."

"He also placed in the top ranks for both quirk and midterm tests," Ashido adds.

Uraraka nods, "He really has his path set out for him."

"And his dad is the Number 2 Hero, Endeavor." Kirishima comments, "Man, some people get all the luck—it's almost like he's cheating."

"Heh." Katsuki snickers. "I'll turn that Half-and-Half Bastard's ice into absolute dust! And, while I'm at it, I'll also explode the rest of his body until he's nothing but dust!"

"Like a murder?!" Ashido quickly retorts. "That's a crime!"

Uraraka comes in and changes the subject before it gets too out of hand. "Well, if we're talking about being on the offensive, then Tokoyami-kun's Dark Shadow is a formidable opponent too." The brunette turns to the ash blonde teen and asks, "Hey, hey, Bakugo-kun! If you're up against Tokoyami-kun, how would you fight?"

"That fucking bird?" Katsuki growls, "I'll just turn him into barbeque chicken with my explosions and then fucking eat him!"

"That's like hunting?!" The pink girl hastily responds before her tension drops slightly as she questions. "Wait—do you think that'll taste good?"

"Err—" Kirishima, sensing the conversation heading in a rather dangerous area, decides to switch the candidates. "How about Yaoyorozu, who also got into U.A. on a recommendation?"

"I'll just blow her up before she's able to make anything," Katsuki answers, immediately.

Ashido inquires, "Then, how about if Yaomomo already made something before you set off your explosions?"

"Then I'll just explode that too!" Katsuki shouts.

"Ahh—right," Ashido nods, blankly. "I think I see what you're trying to say."

"Oh!" Uraraka enthusiastically adds, "Then, how about Iida-kun who can run super fast?"

"I'll catch him and burn him." Katsuki simply answers.

Kirishima questions, "So what happens if you can't catch him?"

"There's no other option but to catch him, you idiot!" Katsuki snaps.

"Ahh—right," Ashido interjects with a small sigh. "Well, at least you're confident."

"Just curious," Uraraka adds once more, "Then how about if you're up against Ashido-san?"

"I would burn her—just burn her to a crisp!" The irritated blonde immediately answers.

Ashido sweats as she shouts back, "'Just burn her'?! Doesn't that sound a bit too easy?!"

"Basically, what I'm trying to say is, _'No one can fucking beat me!'_ " Katsuki pushes himself out of his seat, "If you guys want some advice, then listen up 'cause I'm only telling you this once."

"What is it? What is it?" Interested, Uraraka asks as Kirishima and Ashido both crowd over as well.

"You better give up before you get hurt." Katsuki states.

"C'mon now, Bakugo." Kirishima chuckles.

"Or you can just drop out now, too." Sneers the blonde.

"As if we would ever do that!" Kirishima retorts.

"Yeah, that's right!" Ashido pouts, "We came to U.A. with the hopes of becoming a hero, so we won't just give up that easily!"

"Right, we don't even need to win—" Uraraka comments, "As long as we can get to the finals, I'm sure a lot of pro heroes would want to scout us." The brunette beams, "We definitely all have a chance!"

"Yeah!" Ashido nods as she grins at the brunette. "Let's do our best, Uraraka!"

"Yeah!" Uraraka grins back.

"If that's the case, then go ahead and try and fail, you idiots." Katsuki sneers before letting himself get serious. "But, if you dare cross paths with me, I will not hold back at all." The ash blonde teen glares with his crimson rubies, a flame of determination in them. "Just remember that!" After making his declaration, Katsuki pushes through the trio and heads for the classroom's exit, earning confused stares from the trio.

"Bakugo?" Kirishima questions.

"Where are you going?" Ashido inquires.

Irritated over how much time he has wasted, Katsuki turns to face his classmates before yelling. "Self-training, obviously! Because of you guys, I wasted my time uselessly. Go die you fuckers!"

Just as Katsuki is about to leave, Uraraka stops the furious teen. "Wait just a minute, Bakugo-kun!"

"What?" Katsuki snarls, having little patience at the moment.

"There's still one more person who could a possible candidate!" Uraraka exclaims.

Interested, Katsuki stops for a moment and questions, "And who the hell is that?"

"Deku-chan!" Uraraka beams.

Katsuki's breath hitches at the name. _Deku…?_

"Oh!" Kirishima exclaims.

"Oh yeah! That's right!" Ashido joins, "There's Midoriya too!"

"Man, that power really is something—although she gets hurt super easily." Kirishima comments.

"Yeah!" Uraraka affirms before turning back to Bakugo. "So, what would you do if you end up fighting Deku-chan, Bakugo-kun?"

"Hey, Round Face! What the hell are you idiots saying?" Katsuki growls. "You fucking joking with me? Well, I'm not laughing."

"But during the Battle Training, last time—" Uraraka starts.

"That will never happen, **ever again**!" Katsuki snaps.

Katsuki can see the sunset from that day a month ago—when he had, for the first time, lost to Izuku in anything. His words echoed through the evening as he looks at her orange-tinted freckled cheeks and green, curly locks with blurry eyes—her striking emerald orbs still linger as a presence in his mind.

 _"_ _Here, I will become number one!"_

The blonde teen's voice becomes colder as he snarls. "I will never be humiliated in that way ever. I will kill her and everyone else and come out on top."

"Yeah, that's right." A carnivorous smile lifts Katsuki's lips. "I am going to be number one."

Katsuki's ruby orbs glare at the trio before he leaves. "If you understand that, then get it into your thick skulls, dumbasses!" Katsuki slams the door behind him.

Just as he is walking down the hall, he finds Izuku standing there, blinking at him in shock.

Katsuki's crimson eyes narrow on the girl, causing her to visibly flinch from the intensity of his gaze. The blonde clicks his tongue before pushing past the girl, knocking into her shoulder as he does. "Get out of the way you shit!"

Meanwhile, back in the classroom, the trio cannot help but continue to stare at the door in astonishment.

"He's so intense," Kirishima comments and cannot help but release a chuckle. "It's like the road he walks on is a death road or something."

"Like throwing gas into a fire." Uraraka laughs awkwardly.

"Rather than gas… more like Nitrogen…" Ashido deadpans.

That very same evening, Izuku sits on the couch while training with a dumbbell. Her mind seems to be occupied since her encounter with Katsuki after school. She hadn't meant to, but she had overheard the last bits of their conversation—the part about her.

It wasn't as if the comments were any harsher than what her childhood friend would usually dish out. However, Izuku had to admit to herself that it _hurt_.

 _Why won't you acknowledge me even now… Kacchan…?_

Izuku pauses mid curl, lowering the dumbbell onto the ground. She looks at her right hand, focusing on the blisters on it. This past month she has been training to grow physically stronger in hopes to be able to withstand One For All with the addition of stamina training so that she could heal without dying as Recovery Girl had lectured her about. If Izuku wants to catch up to the rest of the class in terms of Quirk usage, she at least has to do this much—or else she will never be able to catch up.

The green-haired girl grimaces for a moment as she recalls every time that she had injured herself due to her usage of One For All.

 _There must be something I'm lacking…_

 _All Might had said that all that I needed to control One For All with was feeling… but even though I've felt it for a while now, the only time I had ever had any sense of control of it was when I hit the Nomu back in USJ…_

Izuku couldn't quite understand what was wrong. Even before All Might had told her of his Quirk, Izuku – the fangirl she is – had already researched endlessly on his Quirks usage and techniques. Now, with the knowledge of One For All, Izuku was able to apply this information to her previous information in order to bridge them into what could be considered a guide for One For All.

Despite this, Izuku still had trouble mastering the Quirk.

 _I'll just have to keep trying until I get it—there's nothing much else I can do._

The girl with curly green hair looks down at her hand once again before clenching her fist.

 _I will master One For All…!_

"Izuku!" Her mother's voice snaps the girl away from her thoughts.

Izuku turns around to her mother who is washing up in the kitchen. "What is it, mom?"

"Sorry to bother you when you're busy training…" Inko smiles at her daughter, "But can you go out to the convenience store and get some soy sauce?"

"Okay!" Izuku gives her mom a smile as she leaves the couch and heads to her room to grab a jacket. Though it was May, the evening weather still insists to be cooler, so Izuku would need a small jacket to stay warm. Plus, while she is at it, she can put on a power wrist and power anklet for some training while she jogs to the convenience store.

The green-haired girl slides her arms into her seafoam green exercise jersey—a new one her mother had bought her after her first one had ripped during the U.A. entrance exam. Izuku glances at her reflection through the mirror in her room as she zips up her jersey. Her curly green locks fall just above her shoulder since she hasn't tied it up after her shower earlier in the day.

Satisfied, Izuku heads out, grabbing her wallet, phone and keys. She laces up her red hightops quickly before stuffing her possession, except for the keys, into her pocket. "I'm off, mom! I'll be back soon!"

"Take care and be safe!" Inko calls from the kitchen.

With a small smile, Izuku responds. "I will!" The green-haired girl then exits the apartment, locking the door behind her before she begins heading to the local convenience store.

"That damn hag," Bakugo Katsuki growls, "She must have done this on purpose."

That evening, after coming home from an exhausting day of training for the sports festival, the first thing Katsuki does is take a shower. With hot water streaming down on him, it felt as if the warmth soaked in through his very bones and warmed the teen all over. Feeling stiff, Katsuki would stretch every so often, rubbing his neck and sore muscles, tenderly massaging his skin. Katsuki drops his head, allowing the hot water to caress his spiky ash blonde hair and mat it down against his head.

Being in the shower, with the hot water's warmth caressing him, usually relaxes Katsuki—it was usually his time of peace, strangely enough as that sounds when it comes to the ever-irritated teen. Yet for some reason, he could not find said inner-peace that day.

Katsuki's head could not rid himself of _it_ —those emerald eyes.

Ever since Katsuki can remember, Izuku had always been trailing behind him.

 _When had it started…?_

Katsuki opens his crimson eyes as the water drips down his hair and onto his feet.

They were childhood friends—their parents had been friends prior to their births.

 _When did we first meet again?_

Katsuki narrows his eyes as water slides down his cheeks and the back of his neck.

 _No—I was too young—I can't remember._

They had gone to the daycare, but at that time the bullying hadn't quite begun yet.

 _It started… in second grade…?_

The memories were foggy for Katsuki. It was just like the steam that the shower's hot water is emitting.

It was no use. Katsuki couldn't concentrate any longer on it—if he did, he would surely go mad.

Washing up quickly, Katsuki exits the bathroom fully dressed—only to be greeted by his mother. Bakugo Mitsuki smirks at her son. "Taking a long shower, now, son? You truly are a teenager as well, huh."

"Shut the fuck up, old hag!" Katsuki snarls, earning himself a punch to the head.

"Don't take that tone with me, mister!" Mitsuki scolds her son. She then takes out a piece of paper and hands it to Katsuki. "Now, go fetch me these—"

"Hah?!" the ash blonde teen yells. "Why should I go and do that when it's you're fucking job?!"

"Because it's for _your_ dinner, Mr. I-will-be-Number-1." Mitsuki flicks her son's forehead hard, earning a grunt from the teen.

Katsuki grumbles as he swipes the shopping list from his mother's hand. "Shitty old coot."

Which is how Katsuki ended up in front of the local convenience store.

The ash blonde teen sighs as he enters the store, the clerk greeted him with the usual bored tone that evening shift employees have. Looking down at the list, Katsuki scans the convenience store for the section the goods are in.

Katsuki moves to the back of the store, where the condiments were shelved. His mother had asked him to grab some soy sauce, hot sauce, and chili powder. He finds the spices easily enough as they were stored in the same section. Katsuki grabs an extra of each, knowing full well that given his and his mother's tastes they would run out in no time once again.

Unfortunately for Katsuki, the soy sauce was another story.

The main reason for this is the girl with curly green hair reaching on her tiptoes for the bottle of soy sauce on the highest shelf.

 _Who puts fucking soy sauce of all things so high up?_

Katsuki waits a few seconds for the girl; however, the boy quickly grows impatient. He is hungry and, knowing his sly old hag of a mom, she would use him not buying the soy sauce as an excuse to serve him crap. "Oi," Irritated, Katsuki steps in. He can see the girl flinch and turn towards him as he continues. "Get outta my way, shitty nerd."

"K-Kacchan?" Katsuki's nickname flows out of Izuku's lips, causing a weird feeling to rise in Katsuki's stomach. But the boy pays no mind to it as the girl steps away from the shelf.

Katsuki steps forward reaching for the bottle of soy sauce that Izuku had been reaching for and takes two of the same one. He then holds out one of the bottles to the slightly startled freckled girl. Izuku blinks at the bottle with her large peridot orbs before glancing up at Katsuki's rubies and back down at the bottle of soy sauce. Irritated and starving, Katsuki growls at the girl. "Take the fucking soy sauce, Deku, or I will put it back on the shelf!"

Izuku hastily reaches for the soy sauce after Katsuki's threat, the girl knowing full well that Katsuki would do it. Fumbling with the soy sauce for a moment, Izuku gives Katsuki a small smile. "Th-Thanks, Kacchan."

Katsuki hadn't noticed it earlier, but now after actually looking at the girl, he can see it. _She grew out her hair._ Katsuki notes how Izuku's curly green hair falls just on her shoulder, brushing the girl's shoulder gently. He hadn't really noticed in class—probably because the girl often keeps her hair tied up. The blonde teen pushes those thoughts away as he huffs, "Ask the frickin' cashier next time you can't reach something, you idiot! Don't get in other people's way!"

"Ah—sorry…" Izuku apologizes, her bright emerald eyes falling to the ground.

Katsuki clicks his tongue before he turns around and leaves the girl behind, heading for the cashier.

It only takes a matter of moments for Katsuki to feel her presence behind him. However, Katsuki ignores it in favor of getting the lazy cashier to check out his groceries so he can pay and go home and eat.

Izuku's presence behind Katsuki has always been a natural thing—the girl would follow him practically everywhere when they were young. Sometime in the midst of all of it, she had gone farther and farther away from him. The gap growing even larger in middle school.

Katsuki exits the convenience store, bag of groceries in hand. The ash blonde boy takes a few steps before stopping to look at the dark sky. He knew there were stars far out there but with the city's light and pollution, it was practically impossible for him to see any.

Katsuki can vividly remember the beautiful starry night sky.

The ash blonde teen has always like mountain-climbing ever since he was a child. Since his parents enjoyed it, they would often go camping up in the mountains. There was one time where the Midoriya family had tagged along for the trip. At that time, they had still been good friends—him and Izuku. He remembered the smile that lit her face as her eyes sparkled while looking at the beautiful display of astral figures.

Katsuki exhales a deep breath just as Izuku exits the convenience store, plastic bag in hand. The ash blonde boy turns to her as she freezes on sight of him.

"K-Kacchan…?" Izuku blinks at Katsuki, bewildered. "You waited—?"

"Hah?" Katsuki lifts his head as he glares down at the girl.

"Ah—no, nevermind…!" Izuku hastily takes the comment back. The green-haired girl then inches past Katsuki slowly as if she were dealing with a wild bear. "Umm… then, well, I-I'm going to head home now… See you." The green-haired girl gradually walks away.

Izuku, however, had forgotten one detail though.

They live in the same direction.

Katsuki pushes past Izuku to walk in front of the girl; Izuku allows for this and meekly walks behind Katsuki. Izuku couldn't help the wave of nervousness she felt—like being on the edge of a cliff—whenever she was alone with the easily-infuriated ash blonde. Nervously, Izuku tucks her curly green locks behind her ear, the sleeve of her teal jacket falling slightly.

"Those, what are they?" Katsuki suddenly asks, shocking Izuku to a halt, her hand still in the air.

It takes a moment for Izuku to realize what the blonde is referring to until he points at his wrist. "Huh? These? Their power wrists." Izuku rolls down her sleeve to show the wristband before reaching down to lower her socks to show the anklets. "I even have some on my ankles."

"No shit, I'm not a retard!" The ash blonde snaps, "I'm asking what sort of training are you trying to get out of using that shit!"

Izuku blinks, "S-Stamina… and endurance training…"

Katsuki gives the girl a questioning brow raise in which Izuku responds by averting her emerald eyes and fiddling with her fingers. "I've only seen that shitty Quirk of yours a couple of times," Katsuki growls. "You have fucking shitty control over it."

"I know…" Izuku lowers her head, distraught.

Katsuki snarls, "Then, why the hell aren't you working on it? Hah?"

"But…" Izuku retorts.

"Well, it doesn't matter since I'll just kill you along with your damn Quirk!" Katsuki turns back around, beginning to walk once again.

Katsuki can feel Izuku's presence tugging at him from behind, but he ignores it once again. He didn't care enough to deal with the nerd—too starving and pissed.

 _That old hag must have set me up._

Katsuki fumes as he continues to stomp ahead of the green-haired girl, leading her down the dimmed streets.

"Um… Kacchan!" Izuku speaks up after a bit of time, "Haven't we passed your house?"

"Shut the fuck up, nerd!" Katsuki retorts as he continues to march ahead of the girl. "I can do whatever the fuck I want!"

Izuku watches Katsuki's back as she follows behind the boy—not too close as to annoy him, but not too far as to irritate him either. After years of experience following behind the ash blonde teen's back, Izuku knows what distance to keep. She couldn't help but focus on Katsuki, with interest and curiosity.

It was clear that the boy had gone out to get groceries; and, yet, here he is walking through the dimmed streets with her—even though, they had passed his house already.

 _Perhaps it's just an errand and he was heading out to train but decided to get the groceries first?_ Izuku ponders on it, her mind going through loops as she hypothesizes her childhood friend's behavior—though she does not come to a clear conclusion.

Stuck in her contemplation, Izuku did not realize that Katsuki had stopped until she crashes into him. Hitting his solid back, Izuku initially rubs her forehead letting out a small groan. "Oww…" However, upon realizing that the ash blonde teen had stopped, Izuku gives the boy a questioning head tilt, "Kacchan?"

"How long are you going to fucking follow me, Deku?" Annoyed tone clear in his voice, Katsuki turns his head to glare down at the girl with his crimson rubies.

"E-Eh?" Izuku squeaks as she looks up—only to freeze. To the side is the apartment building Izuku lives in. The green haired girl blinks at her apartment building.

 _Huh? Did Kacchan…?_

The girl then turns to where Katsuki had been standing, only to find the boy already down the road. His sauntering back is being shined on by the street lamps as he leaves Izuku behind.

A small smile spreads on Izuku's lips as she watches Katsuki's receding figure.

"See you tomorrow, Kacchan."

* * *

 **How was it? I really hope everything was in character!**

 **This filler actually shows a lot of BakuDeku development, though I had originally planned for it to have a bit more hero development in it...**

 **Oh well, alls well that ends well, right?**

 **Anyways, this is the last filler prior to the Sports Festival!**

 **If you have any ideas please feel free to send them in!**

 **I hope you enjoyed the chapter!**


	16. UA Sports Festival, I am Here!

**Yay! We are now in the U.A. Sports Festival Arc! I believe there will be 7 to 8 chapters in this arc with how massive it is!**

 **Anyways, if you have any ideas or possible scenes you would have wanted to see in the Sports Festival, please comment! I'll take your ideas into consideration as I write!**

 **I hope you enjoy the chapter!~**

* * *

On the day of the U.A. Sports Festival, large crowds of people fill the courtyard around the arena. It was a festive occasion that happens only once a year, so everyone is bustling to enjoy the festivities and watch the event. However, this year, everyone's eyes were focused on the first-year stage—especially at the USJ incident survivors, Class 1-A.

In class 1-A's waiting room, the students of said class wait for the event to begin—some more nervous than others.

"Man…" Ashido complains as she pulls on her P.E. clothes. "I wanted to wear my costume."

Ojiro, who is stretching his shoulders next to the pink girl, responds, "To keep everything fair, we can't."

Nervous, Satou asks, "I wonder what the first round's gonna be…"

"No matter what comes, we have no choice but to deal with it." Tokoyami comments.

"Right," Shouji nods beside the dark boy.

"I can't help but feel a bit excited!" Hagakure cheers.

Jirou nods, "Yeah, but also nervous."

"Everyone!" Iida opens the door dramatically, "Are you ready?" The class rep prompts before announcing. "We will be entering soon!"

At the announcement, Mineta immediately pales and begins writing the kanji for 'people' on his palm before pushing it into his mouth. Izuku inhales a large breath and exhales it in order to calm herself, to no real avail. However, the sudden call out from Todoroki gives the green-haired girl a small distraction from her nerves. "Midoriya,"

Izuku turns to the approaching half-red-, half-white-haired boy, a bit unnerved. "Todoroki-kun? What is it?"

At the sudden confrontation from the class's strongest member, the majority of the class turns their attention to Todoroki and Midoriya. Katsuki narrows his crimson eyes at the two, carefully watching the exchange.

"Looking at things objectively, I think I'm stronger than you." Todoroki declares.

"Huh?" Izuku gives the boy a confused look, her eyebrows furrowing, before she nods, meekly. "Y-Yeah…"

"But… All Might has his eye on you, doesn't he?" Izuku gasps at the questions as Todoroki continues. "I'm not trying to pry about that." Todoroki stares into Izuku's emerald orbs with his own heterochronic ones as he declares. "But, I'm going to beat you."

Izuku gasps. Looking into Todoroki's emotionless eyes—Izuku can see that the boy isn't looking at her when he says this.

"Oh?" Kaminari comments from across Bakugo. "Is the best in the class making a declaration of war?"

Kirishima scoots out of his seat and approaches Todoroki, putting a hand on the other boy's shoulder. "Hey, hey, hey! Why are you picking a fight all of a sudden?" The redhead tries to restrain the situation before it starts making the timid Midoriya feel even more nervous. With that sort of pressure coming from the best of the class to one of the shyer members, only spells trouble. "Not now, we're about to start!" Kirishima had expected this to come from the easily worked up Bakugo rather than the cool and calm Todoroki.

Todoroki shrugs off Kirishima. "We're not here to play at being friends." The cold teen turns around and begins walking towards the door. "So, what does it matter?"

Izuku stares at Todoroki's receding figure with a look of astonishment before it twists into a grimace. She didn't quite understand why Todoroki had seen her as a threat—but she now knows he does. "Todoroki-kun, I don't know what you're thinking when you say you'll beat me," Izuku finds her mouth moving on its own. Todoroki stops midstep to turn to the green-haired girl as she is speaking and the rest of the class stare at the usually timid girl with worried eyes. "But, of course, you're better than me," Izuku states, her head drooped down as she stares at the floor. "I think you're more capable than most people… Looking at it objectively…"

Kirishima tries to pacify the girl and reassure her, "Midoriya, you probably shouldn't talk so negatively…"

"But, everyone—" Izuku interrupts Kirishima. "The students from other courses are aiming for the top with everything they've got!"

 _"I want to become the greatest hero!"_

Izuku lowers her clenched fists that she hadn't realized she had clenched in the first place. "I can't afford to fall behind." Todoroki turns fully to face the green-haired girl as she lifts her head. Izuku stares at the boy with determined and clear peridot orbs as she declares. "I'll be going for it with everything I have, too."

Todoroki lets the words flow in the air for a moment before he replies. "Yeah,"

Katsuki, who had watched the whole declaration in silence, clicks his tongue. The ash blonde glares at the half-red-, half-white-haired teen. _That bastard doesn't even see me, does he? Thinks he too good, huh?!_

 _And why the fuck would you declare a war against **Deku** of all people?!_

"Hey!" Present Mic appears on the holographic screen, "Pay attention, audience! Swarm, mass media! This year's high school rodeo of adolescence that you all love, the U.A. sports festival, is about to begin! Everybody, are you ready?!" Present Mic announces, "It's time for the students to enter the first-year stage!"

All eyes are trained on the stadium's entrance, anticipating the incoming students' arrivals—whether it was from behind the television, by the radio, or in the stands.

"The U.A. Sports Festival—the huge battle where fledgling heroes sharpen their swords once a year!" Present Mic announces, "Anyway, these are the guys, right? The miraculous new stars who overcame enemy attacks with their hearts of steel! Hero Course, Class 1-A, right?!"

On cue, Class 1-A files into the arena and the audience cheers.

 _"I want you to tell the world **I am here**!"_

"Roger that, All Might!" Izuku mutters as she walks alongside her classmates into the stadium. Looking around as she walks, Izuku is amazed by just how many people were watching in the stands—the whole stadium was practically filled. Her breath hitches as she looks around, nervousness rising even more than what she had anticipated. She manages to stutter out, "Th-Th-There is so many people…"

"Will we be able to give our best performance being watched by so many people?" questions Iida who is walking beside Izuku. "This is also part of the training required to become a hero."

"Man, he's going overboard with that praise! I'm getting nervous!" Kirishima comments, a bit unnerved. The redhead turns to Bakugo who is walking ahead of him. "Aren't you, Bakugo?"

"No, I'm just getting more into it." Bakugo immediately retorts with a smirk plastered on his face.

"They haven't been getting as much airtime, but this class is also full of talent!" Present Mic continues as another class walks into the arena. "Hero Course, Class 1-B!"

Another group of classes enters the arena, being led by a certain tall purple-haired boy. "Next up, general studies Classes C, D, and E!" Present Mic announces.

After that group of classes comes in, another group enters—all wearing some sort of gadget. "Support course, Classes F, G, and H are here, too!"

Then, lastly, more studious looking students enter. "And business course, Classes I, J, and K!"

"All of U.A.'s first years are here now!" Present Mic announces as the crowd goes wild with cheers.

Amidst the general course students, several complain about the whole event.

"We're just here to make those guys look better, huh?"

"I'm not really feeling it…"

Once all the students are gathered in the center of the arena, forming a rectangularly shaped crowd, the sound of a whip echoes through the air. "Time for the player pledge!" Midnight announces with a smile.

"Oh!" several of the male population in the audience cheer as they ogle the pro hero umpire. "This year's chief umpire for the first years is the R-Rated Hero, Midnight?"

"What about the principal?"

"The principal is at the third-year stage every year."

Back in the actual stage, the majority of the student - no matter if male or female - blush when looking at their designated umpire.

Kirishima cannot force away the blush dusting his cheeks as he comments. "What is Midnight-sensei wearing?"

Kaminari nods his head in approval. "That's an R-Rated Hero for you."

"Is it okay for her to be at a high school even though she's R-Rated?" Tokoyami deadpans.

"Yes!" Mineta insists as he raises a thumb up, his eyes bloodshot.

"Quiet, everyone!" Midnight shouts before flinging her whip. "Representing the students is Bakugo Katsuki from Class 1-A!"

All of the nearby class 1-A students focus their attention on the said ash blonde teen. Izuku whips herself around to look at Katsuki with dilated eyes and follows him as he moves towards the stage. She leans over to her classmates, whispering, "Eh? It's Kacchan?"

"That guy _did_ finish first in the entrance exam," Sero explains.

A girl from the general ed class sighs before she retorts. "In the _hero_ course."

"R-Right…" Izuku furrows her brows as she inches away from the girl.

Sero tries to cheer the green-haired girl up. "It's obvious she hates us."

Kaminari gives the ash blonde teen who is walking onto the podium a pinched look. "And it's all Bakugo's fault."

With steady footsteps, Katsuki saunters onto the stage and stands before the microphone. All the students are quiet in anticipation and Izuku gulps, having a feeling she knew what her childhood friend would do.

Katsuki stares at the large crowd of people in the audience with calm crimson eyes as he opens his mouth. "I pledge—" Katsuki declares, "—that I will be number one."

 ** _I knew he'd do that!_**

Class 1-A all give Bakugo a mix of shocked, angry, and exasperated expressions. Meanwhile, the rest of the classes raise their fists and boo at the student representative.

"What the heck!"

"Stop messing around!"

"Don't be so full of yourselves, Class A!"

"You sludge bastard!"

Iida practically immediately steps up to scold his classmates, chopping his arms frantically in the air. "Why are you doing something so disgraceful?!"

Katsuki turns around and comments, "At least become a nice bouncy step for me to jump off of." Then he proceeds to give the crowd a thumb down.

This causes the passionate class B student to shout. "How overconfident can you get?" The silver-haired boy clenches his fist. "I'll crush you!"

Izuku frowns at the comment as she focuses her jade orbs on Katsuki's calm stance. _Confidence? No…_

Katsuki walks off stage, ignoring Iida's lecture as he approaches the crowd to return to his spot within it.

 _The old Kacchan would've laughed while saying that._

Katsuki stares into those determined emeralds as he gets closer to the crowd, only to let his gaze slide past the green-haired girl as he passes by her.

 _He's driving himself into a corner._

Izuku follows her ash blonde childhood friend as he brushes his shoulder against hers when he pushes his way through to stand behind her.

 _Though, getting the rest of us caught up in it is just like Kacchan._

"Now! Let's get started right away." Midnight announces.

"U.A. does everything 'right away' huh?" Uraraka comments quietly from within the crowd.

Midnight continues, "The first game is what you'd call a qualifier! Every year, many drink their tears here! Now, here is the fateful first game!" The R-Rated Hero extends her arm and swings her whip as a holographic screen pops up behind her. "This year, it's…" After scrolling for a few seconds, the board stops on a certain plaque reading 'Obstacle Race'. "… this!"

"An obstacle course race…" Izuku mutters as she stares at the screen with determination.

"All 11 classes will participate in this race." Midnight explains, "The course will be the outer circumference of this stadium—about four kilometers!" Midnight snaps her whip in the air. "Our school's selling point is freedom!" The R-Rated Hero licks her lips before she smirks. "As long as you stay on course, it doesn't matter what you do!" Midnight declares as the crowd goes wild with cheers. "No, now, take your places, everyone!"

In a matter of moments, all the students crowd in front of the huge red gate as the three lights on the top flash green in preparation.

 _All Might._

 _"I want you to tell the world **I am here**!"_

Izuku watches the green lights carefully.

 _Thinking about it realistically, without really being able to regulate One For All…_

 _That's too unreasonable…_

As one of the lights flashes off with a beep, Izuku narrows her emerald eyes in focus.

 _That's why I have to go beyond._

Another light flashes off with a beep, as Izuku's eyes glow with clear determination.

 _Please watch me!_

The last light flashes off and Midnight shouts, "Start!" This cues the students to rush forward towards the entrance.

"Okay, here's the play-by-play!" announces Present Mic, "Are you ready to do the commentary, Mummy Man?" The blonde smiling pro asks his partner who has been quietly sitting next to him this whole time—Aizawa.

"You're the one who forced me to come." Aizawa deadpans.

"Let's get started right away, Mummy Man." Present Mic continues. "What should we pay attention to in the early stages?"

"This part right now," Aizawa states.

Just as Aizawa had foreshadowed, there was a problem right from the start—the passageway was too narrow for hordes of rushing students to pass through without some rough play.

"Hey, hey!"

"This is too narrow!"

"Ouch!"

"Hey, move!"

Of course, the notion of pushing and shoving only causes the situation to escalate, creating a traffic jam of students within the passage. Izuku is consistently smooshed all around as she tries to maneuver her way out of the mob.

Izuku gasps for hair once finally succeeding in getting her head out of the jam. _I see…_ The green-haired girl's mind quickly analyzes the situation. _This means, from the start, it's already…_

 _The first sifting._

Todoroki's cold gray and turquoise eyes shine as he narrows them, releasing a blast of cold out from his right side—freezing the whole passageway, including the outer walls and floor. Todoroki escapes the entrance by jumping over the rest of the students, whose feet he had frozen in place. "Sorry, but…" With every step Todoroki takes, the boy freezes the ground around him.

Behind the icy teen, the student stuck at the entrance wail.

"Oww! What the—?"

"It's freezing over! I can't move!"

"So cold!"

"Outta the way! I can't get it off!"

However, not everyone was stuck.

 **Boom!** With an explosion, Katsuki flies out of the entrance. Aoyama is not too far behind, using his naval laser to shoot him out of there. Yaoyorozu creates a pole to push herself out and Kirishima uses brute strength to manage.

"Take that!" Kirishima shouts.

Yaoyorozu yells. "Naïve, Todoroki-san!"

Todoroki turns around to check on who had been able to leave the passageway, not surprised to see his classmates close behind him.

"I won't let you get away so easily!" Snarls Bakugo as he charges forward using his explosions to propel him through the air. "You half-and-half bastard!"

Ojiro bounces off his tail right before the ice can get to him. "You got me with that once. You won't get me again!" Meanwhile, Tokoyami passes by the boy using Dark Shadow.

"Woah!" Ashido jumps into the air using her acid to avoid the ice. "That was close!" However, despite her acid to boost her footing, Ashido still fumbles over the ice floor.

Similarly, Midoriya and Mineta struggle to slide across Todoroki's ice floor, having made it out of the entrance.

"I can't use my special move yet…" Uraraka groans as she tries to cross the ice.

In the meantime, the tall purple-haired boy from the declaration of war rides atop a student cavalry. "They're used to using their Quirks, huh…"

"More people outside of Class A were able to dodge that than I expected…" Todoroki comments as he scans his pursuers. His breath hitches when he sees some rather bold movements.

Mineta pull of his purple stick spheres, throwing them in the shape of a path and uses them to jump across the ice. Midair, above Todoroki, Mineta points at the best in the class with a crazy expression—his eyes dilated and a large evil smirk on his face. "I've outwitted you, Todoroki! How pathetic!" Mineta laughs as pulls some of his purple spheres. "Take this! My special attack! Gra—"

Mineta, however, is unable to finish this sentence as he is hit by a giant robotic arm. Izuku freezes with a gasp as she catches sight of the attacker and Mineta flies through the air from the huge blow. The purple boy falls to the ground and begins rolling away. Izuku reaches out as she shouts for him. "Mineta-kun!"

However, she does not go after the boy as the robots draw her attention. Their red camera eyes focus on her and the other students as a robotic voice echoes out. "Targets found… lots!"

"The faux villains from the entrance exam?" Izuku grits her teeth as she gets into a defensive position.

Present Mic announces, "Now, obstacles have shown up suddenly! Starting with… the first barrier: Robo Inferno!"

All the students freeze up at the sight of the giant robots—even Todoroki halts.

"Aren't those the zero-point villains from the entrance exam?!" Kaminari screams, bewildered.

Students from other courses panic.

"Seriously? The hero course had to fight those?"

"This is what they meant by obstacles?!"

"There are too many! I can't get through!"

"So, this is what they used in the general entrance exam?" Todoroki question as he glares at the gigantic robots.

Yaoyorozu comments, "I wonder where they got the money for it?"

A robot, which had its focus on Todoroki, spreads its robotic hand. Just as it begins to charge, Todoroki exudes his ice from his right foot and right hand. "If they went through all this trouble, I wish they would've prepared something better." Todoroki reaches forward with his frost-covered right hand, hovering it over the ground as he pushes out his ice. Instantly the ground within a 2-meter radius is frozen and icicles start forming in a swirl motion around the teen. Todoroki glares at the faux villains like they are trash. "Since my stupid old man is watching."

After the large build up, Todoroki glides his right hand above the floor before swinging it at the villain—throwing his icy air at it and freezing the robot over in an instant. Todoroki exhales an icy breath as he lowers his right hand and stands back onto his feet, dashing through the robot's legs.

Some students only seeing the whole event for its face value cheer. "He stopped them!"

"Between their legs! We can get through!"

"I wouldn't if I were you." Todoroki warns them as he runs, "I froze them when they were unbalanced." As if on cue, the frozen robot begins falling apart. "They'll fall over." The large collision of the robot breaking and falling to the ground creates a huge dirt cloud over the area.

"Todoroki from Class 1-A!" Present Mic announces, "He attacked and defended in one hit! How elegant!" The blonde pro hero slams his hands on the table in front of him as he exclaims. "Amazing! He's the first one through! It's, you know, practically unfair!"

"His actions are logical and strategetic," Aizawa explains.

"As expected of someone who got in through recommendations!" Present Mic praises the teen. "He'd never fought them before, but those Robo Infernos couldn't get past his elite moves!"

Meanwhile, back with the Robo Inferno obstacle, many students were still stuck on the first obstacle as some backup robots begin joining the leftover robots after Todoroki's attack.

Izuku steps back, her mind racing as she grits her teeth. _Gotta hurry…!_

 _I have to get past these robots while also paying attention to the obstacles around me._

Izuku could still remember how she was when she had first had to face these faux villlains—how frightened she was.

 ** _Why can't I move?!_**

 ** _Idiot, why?!_**

Izuku slides her left foot back as she gets into a battle stance, a silly smile spreading across her lips as she focuses her emerald orbs on her opponents. _I can move, now._

 _Come on, think!_

 _Now, what?_

"Hey! Someone's trapped underneath!" Someone screams as they point to the fallen, frozen-over robot.

"Wouldn't that kill them?"

"Will people _die_ at this sports festival?!"

All of a sudden, there is a crack from the robot's top side which shatters as Kirishima jumps out of the robot in his hardened state. "Like I'd die!"

"Ahh—Kirishima from Class 1-A was underneath!" Present Mic exclaims, "That's crazy!"

Kirishima exhales. "That bastard, Todoroki! He timed it on purpose so it'd be right when they feel." The redhead turns around and shouts, "If it hadn't been me, someone would've died!"

Kirishima is startled by the robot's surface suddenly breaking as another student pops out—covered in steel. "Class A really is filled with bastards!" The silver-haired class B student shouts.

"Woah! Tetsutetsu from class B was also underneath!" Present Mic roars. "That's crazy!"

Tetsutetsu fumes, "If it hadn't been me, someone would've died!"

Kirishima begins running across the destroyed robot in tears as he cries out. "Our Quirks are pretty much the same?! I have a hard time standing out as it is!"

"Wait, you little—" Tetsutetsu shouts as he rushes after Kirishima.

"Those guys are lucky…" Kaminari comments, envious. "They can get through without being afraid of getting crushed."

"Anyway, let's work together for now to clear a path!" Someone suggests only for his momentum to be cut off by an explosion.

Kaminari gasps as Bakugo passes him overhead with an explosion. "Bakugo?!"

Katsuki continuously uses his explosions to propel himself over the robot. _Like I'd let you get ahead of me!_ Even as the robot lunges at him with its huge arm, Katsuki dodges it rather effortlessly—flinging himself above the robot.

"Class 1-A's Bakugo!" Present Mic exclaims, "Since the bottom's blocked, he goes overhead! Clever!"

Katsuki lands on the robot's huge head just as Sero jumps on as well. "You seem like you'd be the type to plow straight through," The black-haired boy comments, "But you can go around when you need to, huh?"

Tokoyami also jumps on as well, using Dark Shadow to help him. "I'm going to hitch a ride!"

The three jump of the robot, clearing the Robo Inferno obstacle.

Back in the arena, the audience cheers at the displays—excited for what is to come next. Meanwhile, in the staff section of the stands, Snipe comments. "As expected, most of the group that's gone ahead is from Class A."

"Class B and the other courses aren't bad, either." All Might explains, "It's just…"

"…Class A doesn't spend a lot of time standing around." Aizawa comments in the commentary booth.

They watch as Iida quickly clears the obstacle using an engine-powered kick and run strategy; Jirou amplifies her heart beat through her earphone jacks into the robots, destroying them as she passes; Kaminari dodges an attack from a robot before striking it with electricity.

"Those who experienced firsthand that world above them through the incident at USJ…" Aizawa begins.

Kirishima rushes through, running as fast as he can as Uraraka releases her Quirk's hold on the robots, letting them crash and fall to the ground.

"Those who had fear planted in their hearts…" Aizawa continues.

Ojiro destroys a robot with a quick execution from his tail.

"Those who dealt with it and pulled through…" Aizawa explains, "They all used that experience to drown out their hesitation."

 _I can't rely on One For All this early in the competition!_

Izuku rushes forward, determined. As a robot lunges for her, she swiftly dodges by jumping behind it and notices a piece of the robot's armor laying on the ground.

 _It's the armor of the one Todoroki defeated!_

Hastily, Izuku picks up the large piece of armor, carrying it with her as she runs. Analyzing the situation behind her, Izuku continues to watch the robot which had lunged at her—remembering it from the entrance exam. _That robot will lock onto the target and track it._

The robot rushes after her. _I'll make it build up momentum…_

Izuku gradually slows down as the robot quickly approaches her.

 _And then—_

As the robot lunges at her once again, Izuku twists her body along with the piece of armor in her hand.

 _It won't be able to stop suddenly!_

Izuku slams the armor into the robot's arm—destroying it in an instant.

 _Move! Move!_

Izuku forces her legs to continue; the girl carries the piece of armor as she runs from the destroyed robot.

 _This can be a shield, too! It'll be useful!_

Izuku pauses at the sight of explosions and the robots falling to the ground. The green-haired girl turns around to see the cause of the explosion, exclaiming. "Yaoyorozu-san!"

"A piece of cake." Yaoyorozu comments, not minding how her shirt is unfastened and she is showing her sports bra as she moves on.

Izuku follows behind the girl, exclaiming. "She defeated those zero-point villains so easily?!" The green-haired girl couldn't help but feel very impressed by the serious girl. "No wonder she got in through recommendations."

More robots fall to the ground, destroying nearby trees. "The path is clear!" Someone announces amidst the students rushing forward.

All Might watches the screen, looking out for his disciple.

 _"I want you to tell the world **I am here**!"_

All Might's cyan orbs glow in concern as he watches.

 _I told her that even though I knew it'd be unreasonable._

He watches as Izuku carries the armor along with a determined expression.

 _It doesn't matter if it's close! Just get to the next round!_

"Hey, hey! The first barrier's a piece of cake?" Present Mic dramatically exclaims. "Then what about the second?" Uraraka, Ashido, and Asui make the mistake of looking down the cliff. "If you fall, you're out! If you don't wanna fall, then crawl!" There is a large gap between the solid trails, with many smaller rock formation platforms scatters across the area and tops connecting each surface to another like makeshift bridges that are more like tightropes. "It's _The Fall_!"

"When did they build this stage?" Uraraka questions in astonishment.

Asui walks ahead, causing the other two girls to blink. "Tsuyu-chan?" prompts Ashido as Asui bends forward.

Asui leaps, jumping from the cliff edge to one of the ropes. "Ribbit." Asui croaks as she begins crawling across the rope from the halfway point she had managed to jump to. "This is like a glorified tightrope."

"She's fast!" Ashido exclaims as she and Uraraka watch Ashido go. However, the sound of giggling behind them prompts the two girls to turn around.

"Glitter! Here it is! Here's my chance to show off!" A girl with pink hair wearing several gadgets gleams at the challenge. "It's time for my support items to be in the limelight!" The support course student raises her arms in the air as she exclaims. "Look, all you support companies across the country! Wire arrows and… hover soles! Glitter!"

"You're from the support course?" Uraraka questions.

"Eh? It's okay to bring in items?!" Ashido exclaims, dumbfounded.

"The hero course undergoes combat training regularly, right?" The support course student elaborates, "In order to keep things fair, we are allowed to equip items and costumes as long as we developed them ourselves! Or perhaps I should say…" On cue, the pink-haired girl launches her item, "…for those of us in the support course, this is the place where we can show off our ideas and skills to companies!" As she explains this, she activates her shoes which makes her hover in the air. She then rushes forward with a laugh. "Come, take a look, all you companies! Especially the big ones! Look at my super cute babies!"

"Awesome…!" Uraraka gasps as the support course student uses her items to get across the field.

"It's so frustrating…!" Ashido pouts.

"I won't lose!" Uraraka's chocolate orbs narrow in determination as she rushes out as well.

"That's some misplaced quality!" Ashido shouts as she joins the other girl.

Meanwhile, a purple-haired boy watches from afar. "Nice…" His mouth opens in a smirk.

"A lot of different people are working hard for their chance, huh, Eraser Head?" Present Mic asks his partner.

"What are you idiots stopping for?" Aizawa growls.

"And now, the leader of the pack is easily getting through first!" Present Mic narrates as Todoroki uses his ice to slide through the second obstacle.

Todoroki continues to run, only looking over his shoulder to check up on the other competition—namely a certain explosive boy who is heading straight forward using his explosions to fly through the sky. _Looks like he's getting fired up. A slow starter?_

"Damn it!" Katsuki roars as he speeds up with another explosion.

Iida stops for a moment to catch his breath at the start of the second obstacle. "My older brother is probably also watching." Iida pants, "I can't let him see me act uncool!" Spreading out his arms to keep his balance, the class rep uses his engine to accelerate him across the tightrope in a rather uncool pose with one leg crossed in front of the other and his jaw agape.

Meanwhile, in the audience, the majority of the focus is on Todoroki who has been in first place since the start of the race.

"That guy in first place is way ahead!"

"His Quirk is really strong."

"But his natural athletic ability and judgment are also a cut above everyone else's."

"Of course, it is. That's the Flame Hero, Endeavor's son."

"No wonder! The blood of the guy second only to All Might, huh?"

"There'll be fighting over who gets him as a sidekick!"

"The lead pack is a step ahead, but below them, everyone's clumped together!" Present Mic announces. "They haven't announced how many people will make it through, so you can't relax! Push forward!"

Izuku grits her teeth as she crawls on the tightrope, feeling the burn in her hands as she hangs upside down during the climb.

On the other hand, at the front of the race, Todoroki stops before the last obstacle.

"And now, we've quickly arrived at the final barrier!" Present Mic follows, "The reality her is… that it's a minefield!" The announcer explains. "It's set up so that you can tell where the mines are if you look carefully! So you have to exploit your eyes and legs!" With an evil smirk, Present Mic reveals. "By the way, these landmines are for games, so they're not that powerful, but they're loud and flashy enough to make you wet your pants!"

"That depends on the person." Aizawa deadpans.

Midoriya Izuku clenches her teeth as she continues to run with the piece of armor in hand. _First place is already there?!_

She had just completed the second obstacle and there were plenty of people in front of her as she rushes for the third obstacle. _Faster… Faster…!_

Todoroki's lips part as he focuses on the ground, carefully and swiftly stepping around the landmines. Behind him, he can hear explosions and screams. _I see. This is an obstacle that puts those in the lead at a disadvantage._

 _Trying to make it entertaining, huh?_

Amidst the landmine explosions, Todoroki hastily turns around at the sound of a different but familiar explosion.

Katsuki charges straight for Todoroki, laughing. "This doesn't affect me!" The ash blonde boy shouts as he propels past the original lead runner.

"Bastard," Todoroki's mismatched eyes dilate as Katsuki glares at him with crimson eyes. "Don't declare war on the wrong person!"

Katsuki lunges forward, setting off an explosion where Todoroki had been but dodged.

"And now, we've got someone new in the lead!" Present Mic roars along with the audience. "Rejoice, mass media! It's the kind of development you guys love!"

"Hey, hey, hey, the rest of the pack is also speeding up!" Present Mic announces. "However!"

Katsuki swings at Todoroki with an explosion, only for the other teen to dodge. Todoroki then grabs Katsuki's arm, freezing it slightly before he is shoved off by the other. The two continue to struggle for the position of first place.

"Even as they push and pull at each other, can the two at the top remain in the lead?"

Izuku finally reaches it—the last obstacle. The girl's emerald eyes instantly lock on to where the two lead runners were struggling against each other. Izuku clicks her tongue and grits her teeth. _It… It's far…!_

 _But—_

"There's still stuff I have to do!" Izuku shouts as she brings the piece of armor she has been carrying up into the air and then swings it into the ground. With careful precision, Izuku manages to dig out several mines, gathering them into a small ditch.

Determined, Izuku steps away from the landmine mass she had created, bringing the piece of armor in front of her body as she wraps the cord attached to it around her hands. "I'm gonna borrow your idea, Kacchan!" Bracing herself, Izuku dashes forward, jumping onto the mine mountain she had created.

 **Boom!**

A huge pink explosion erupts—larger than the usual ones were when you stepped on the landmines in the ground. The sound and shocking appearance of the abrupt explosion causes everyone to turn around and look at it. Both Todoroki and Bakugo do the same.

"There's a huge explosion at the back?!" screeches Present Mic. "What's with that force?!"

Izuku flies in the air, riding the impact with the armor debris as she accelerates straight for the two front-runners.

"Was it an accident, or did she do it on purpose?" Present Mic roars. "Class A's Midoriya is in hot pursuit with that blast!"

Todoroki and Bakugo watch as Izuku soars past them through the sky.

"Actually, she's taken the lead!" Present Mic announces.

The two boys promptly leave their initial fight in favor of pursuing the green-haired girl.

 _I flew just like I'd planned, but there's so much force! And…_

Izuku grits her teeth as she sees the minefield ground get closer and closer.

 _I didn't think about landing!_

From behind the girl, Katsuki growls. "Deku," The boy propels towards the girl with his explosions as he shouts. "Don't go ahead of me!"

On the other hand, Todoroki freezes the ground to save time as he dashes through the minefield. _This'll give those in the back a path… but I don't have time to worry about what's behind me!_

 _Oh no! I'm losing speed…!_ Izuku panics as she begins heading straight for the ground. _That's not surprising… but—_

Izuku can see them—Katsuki and Todoroki practically directly beneath her.

 _—They'll overtake me in an instant!_

Izuku's grip on the piece of armor begins to loosen, the girl allows it to float away from her.

 _Thinking about time loss by landing, there's no way I'd be able to take back the lead._

Her head drops even closer to the two boys as she free falls.

 _Damn it! No! Don't let go!_

 _Grab hold of that chance you got to get in front of these two and don't let go!_

Izuku tightens her hold on the piece of armor, grabbing it with her other hand as she flips herself backward, planting her feet on the two boy's shoulders for only a moment.

 _If I can't take back the lead, then I can't let them get ahead of me!_

Izuku grits her teeth as she pulls on the armor plate, using her temporary landing as a boost, she swings the armor forward, hitting the landmines directly below her. As soon as the mine explodes, Izuku releases the armor plate, allowing the force of the blast to push her across the rest of the minefield. For a moment in her landing, Izuku skids against the dirt but she quickly rises to her feet—adrenaline pumping throughout her body.

"Eraser Head, your class is amazing!" Present Mic exclaims, "What the hell are you teaching them?!"

"I didn't do anything," Aizawa comments, "They got each other fired up on their own."

"U.A. Sports Festival, first-year stage!" Present Mic begins, "Who could've predicted the developments at the beginning or this conclusion?" He continues, "Right now, the first person back in the stadium is this student—"

A girl with curly green hair tied up in a ponytail is the first to exit.

"Midoriya Izuku has made a huge splash!"

The audience roars with cheers.

Meanwhile, in a dark room someplace, a certain light blue-haired villain scratches his neck as he watches the U.A. Sports Festival broadcast. "This brat is…"

Izuku leans on her legs as she pants, trying to catch her breath, before she stands up and looks around the audience—searching for _that_ man, her mentor, the Symbol of Peace, All Might. Upon finding him in the staff section, clapping his hands with a smile, tears fill Izuku's eyes. A smile grows on her face as she clenches her fist.

 ** _I am here!_**

* * *

 **So, the sports festival has begun!**

 **With the first event finished, now all that is left is the cavalry and the tournament!**

 **Please, if you have any ideas or stuff you would like to see like for ex: "I want to see more of this character" or something, please tell me! I will take it into consideration as I write the chapters!**

 **I hope you enjoyed the chapter!**


	17. Cavalry Battle - First Half

**Yay! Finally finished the first part of the cavalry battle!**

 **I actually meant to have the whole cavalry battle in one chapter, but then I realized that'd actually be super duper long...**

 **So I split it up!**

 **Anyway, you all will see in the future why I don't tweak the early parts of the plot!**

 **If you have any filler ideas, remember to comment!**

 **I hope you enjoy the chapter!**

* * *

All Might stares at his protégé as he claps at her achievement. He smiles as he watches Izuku cry, overcome with her emotions—whether it was joy, amazement, or pride.

 _This sports festival is a competition where they have to aim for the top, even if it means defeating their friends and classmates._

 _Modern heroes depend a lot on their popularity, so they need to have that desire to be above all the others._

All Might's cyan eyes soften as Izuku continues to wipe away her neverending-seeming tears.

 _At your core, you are a hero who wants to help others._

 _That is why I chose you—_

 _—_ _but, I thought that was also your weakness._

All Might claps his hands together as he apologizes in his head. _I was worrying over absolutely nothing! Sorry!_

 _You should still try to stop being such a crybaby, though._

Bakugo Katsuki pants in the sidelines, trembling as he grips his strained forearms. The ash blonde teen grits his teeth in frustration as he stares at the floor with a wild fury. "Again… Damn…!" Katsuki had come in third. "Damn it…!"

Meanwhile, not too far away, Todoroki exhales an icy breath as he begins regulating his temperature while panting. As the announcer begins narrating again, Todoroki looks up to stare at the first place funner—Midoriya Izuku. He stares for a moment, watching the girl with curly green hair before he turns away and moves to the center of the arena.

Izuku stares at her left hand with a small frown.

"Deku-chan!" Uraraka's strained voice draws Izuku's attention to the brunette, "You were amazing!"

"Uraraka-san?" Izuku is slightly startled as the brunette comes to congratulate her.

"First place is amazing!" Uraraka beams. "That's so frustrating, dang it!"

"No—it was just…" Izuku flushes and gives the girl an awkward smile as she overhears Iida muttering to himself.

"I can't believe I fell behind with this Quirk…" The depressed bluenette turns to the green-haired girl, "I still have a long way to go…!"

 _I was just lucky._

 _I just happened to be able to use something I thought I could use._

 _What's amazing was my luck._

Izuku stares at her hand again with a small frown, the blush still dusting her freckled cheeks.

 _It was a lucky punch._

Izuku clenches her fist as she pushes the blush away. _My real ability will be tested after this…_

Meanwhile, one-by-one the contestants make it through the finish line.

"This isn't how it should be…!" Yaoyorozu pants as she passes the finish line.

"Ohoh! I killed two birds with one stone!" Mineta squeals as he clings to Yaoyorozu's back and butt with his purple spheres. "I'm a genius!"

Yaoyorozu retorts, "You're the worst!"

After several more students finish the obstacle course race, Midnight begins announcing. "The first game of the first-year stage is finally over. Now, take a look at the results!"

As the scoreboard reveals the rank of the top 42 students who passed the first game, Midnight continues. "The top 42 made it through to the next round. It's unfortunate, but don't worry even if you didn't make it! We've prepared other chances for you to shine." Midnight licks her lips. "The real competition begins next! The press cavalry will be all over it! Give it your all!"

Midnight snaps her whip as the hologram projection rolls once again. "Now then, here is the second game." Midnight announces, "I already know what it is, but what could it be? What could it be?" She taunts, "I just said it, and now here it is… this!"

"A cavalry battle?" Kaminari sweatdrops, "I'm bad at those…"

"It's not an individual event, so I wonder how it'll work…" Asui comments.

Mineta pops up, excited. "Cavalry battle!"

As if on cue, Midnight turns to the holographic screen. "Let me explain. The participants form teams of two to four people as they wish. It's basically the same as a regular cavalry battle, but the one thing that's different is…" Midnight elaborates, "… based on the results of the last game, each person has been assigned a point value."

"A point-based system like the entrance exam, huh?" Satou comments, "That's easy to understand."

"In other words," Uraraka analyzes. "Each team is worth different points depending on who's on the team!"

"I see!" Ashido beams at the brunette.

Midnight whips the stage, yelling at the students. "You guys don't hold back even though I'm talking, huh?!" She then continues. "Yes, that's right! And the points assigned go up by five starting from the bottom. So, 42nd place gets 5 points and 41st place gets 10 points! And the point value assigned to first place is…" Midnight smirks, "… ten million!"

At that moment, Midoriya Izuku's mind goes blank.

 _T-Ten million?!_

The green-haired girl begins to sweat, her eyes practically bulging out of her skull.

As the revelation flashes through each of the student's minds, Izuku is practically drowned in bloodlust.

"That's right." Midnight smirks, "It's survival of the fittest, with a chance for those at the bottom to overthrow the top!"

Izuku's heart beats against her chest like a fast-paced metronome.

 _The eyes around me are different from junior high…_

 _The top spot I got for an instant because of luck…_

 _Even so…_

Izuku clenches her fist and her lips stretch into a thin line.

 _Even so…_

 _Is it really this heavy, All Might?_

"Now then, I will explain the rules of the cavalry battle." Midnight announces. "The time limit is 15 minutes. Each team is worth the total of its members' points, and the rider will wear a headband with that number on their foreheads. Teams will try to grab each other's headbands until time runs out and try to keep as many points as they can. Stolen headbands must be worn from the neck up. So, the more you steal, the harder it is to manage them!" She explains, "And the most important thing is that even if your headband gets stolen, or if your team falls, you're not out!"

"Which means…" Yaoyorozu begins.

Satou continues the thought. "… since there are 42 people, there will be ten or twelve teams on the field the whole time?"

"That's tough." Aoyama pops in.

Ashido contemplates, "One strategy could be to let someone take your points first so you'll be more free."

"It's hard to say without seeing how all the points end up getting split up, Mina-chan." Asui comments.

"During the game, it'll be a cruel fight where you can use your Quirks." Midnight swings her whip. "But it is still a cavalry battle. You'll get a red card for attacks that are trying to make people fall on purpose! You'll be removed immediately!"

Katsuki clicks his tongue, "Damn."

"Now, you have 15 minutes to build your teams." Midnight announces, "Start!"

 _Points don't really matter in my case._ Izuku immediately puts on her thinking cap as others around her bustle around to form teams. _The people I want on my team are…_

 _…_ _that person, and that person!_

Meanwhile, Bakugo is surrounded by several of his classmates.

"Team up with me!" Satou insists.

"What?" Ashido whines, "Bakugo, team up with me!"

Aoyama begs while holding his stomach, still having lasting effects from the race. "Don't you want to team up with me?"

Bakugo Katsuki only gives his classmates a straight face as he confesses. "I don't know what Quirks you all have! What?!"

His classmates give the ash blonde teen a shocked expression. "I can understand not knowing Class B's but—" Ashido grits her teeth.

"He really doesn't pay attention to what's around him at all, huh?" Satou groans.

In the staff section, All Might keeps an eye on the rather popular Bakugo. "Even though his personality is like that, he still came in third and has 200 points." All Might analyzes, "Considering the all-purpose use of his Quirk, it makes sense that he's popular."

"Hey!" Kirishima waves his hand in the air as he pushes through to Bakugo. "Todoroki chose his team already!" The redhead points to himself as he proposes, "Bakugo, team up with me!"

"Shitty hair." Bakugo greets the redhead.

"It's Kirishima! At least try to remember!" Kirishima retorts. "My hair isn't that different from yours!" However, the redhead lets the subject slide in order to get to his main point. "You're gonna be the rider, right? Then who'll be a front horse that can take your blasts?" Kirishima prompts as he hardens his arms.

Bakugo stares at Kirishima—he knew what the redhead was playing at, but he wasn't going to give in so easily. "Someone with guts."

"Not really, but yeah!" Kirishima affirms, "Me, with my Hardening!" The redhead declares, "I'll be a horse that'll never waver!" Kirishima smirks, "You're gonna get it, right? The 10 million?"

A predatory smirk grows on Bakugo's lips as his crimson eyes narrow in focus.

Shouji watches as Bakugo decides on his team, only to look down when he hears Mineta sobbing his name. "Shouji… Shouji…!" Tears gush from Mineta's eyes. "I wanted to team up with a girl, but it's no good! Please team up with me!" Seeing no profit in teaming up with his tiny classmate, Shouji begins to walk away. "I'm tiny, so I can't be a horse! But no one 'll be my horse if I'm the rider!" He freezes, however, after hearing Mineta's words. "With your huge body and tentacles, you could cover my whole body, can't you? Right? Right?"

Shouji extends one of his dupli-arms to Mineta. "That's a great idea, Mineta."

Izuku scans the area, watching as one-by-one her teammates begin teaming up together. _As expected, people are teaming up with their classmates, huh?_

 _Since no one has a good grasp of what Quirks those in the other classes have._

Izuku turns her attention to the distant people around her.

 _I need to do something quickly, too…_

 _…_ _about the current state where everyone is totally avoiding me!_

Izuku decides to try approaching the kind and polite Ojiro, "Um… Ojiro-kun…?"

However, even he tenses and avoids the girl. "Sorry…"

Shocked, Izuku freezes, her mouth agape as she shakes. _As I thought, no one wants to try to keep the points for the whole game. It'd be a better strategy to try to steal the points at the end._

 _And unlike Todoroki-kun or Kacchan, I didn't show off my Quirk, so no one has any confidence in me…_

"Deku-chan!" Rigidly, Izuku turns to Uraraka who had called her out. The brunette proposes, "Let's team up!"

Tears flood out of Izuku's eyes as she cries, "Uraraka-san!" The girl doesn't stop crying as she inquires. "I-Is it really okay? Everyone 'll probably be after me because of my ten million points!"

"If we run away the whole time, then you'll win, right?" Uraraka encourages.

Izuku stops her overflowing tears as a small smile lifts her lips. "I-I think you're overestimating me, Uraraka-san…"

"Like I would!" Uraraka beams, "Nonetheless, it's better to team up with people you get along with!"

The brimming tears overflow and begin streaming down Izuku's cheeks.

"What's wrong? There's no need to cry." Uraraka tries to calm the crying green-haired girl down.

Izuku tilts her head back as she covers her eyes with an arm to wipe away the tears. "Oh, nothing… it's just everyone was avoiding me and I was afraid that you would too… because, actually, I wanted to team up with you, too." Once her tears have dried, Izuku gives her friend a smile. "Thanks! For teams, it's best to have people you can communicate with smoothly, right?"

Uraraka nods her head several times in enthusiasm. "Yup, yup, yup!"

"Actually, with your Quirk and one other person…" Izuku confesses, "… I thought of a plan!" The green-haired girl then turns toward that _other person_ Izuku had mentioned, prompting Uraraka to look over and catch who she was thinking of.

The two exchange smiles before they march straight for that person—Iida.

"Iida-kun," Izuku calls out to the tall blue-haired boy. When Iida turns around to face her and Uraraka, the two girls pump their fists with a large grin, urging the boy over.

"The three of us would be horses with Iida in the front!" Huddled together, Izuku explains. "And then, if we use Uraraka-san's Quirk to make Iida-kun and me lighter, we'd be able to maneuver easily."

"I see!" Uraraka beams.

Izuku contemplates. "It's better to have someone physically strong as the rider, but I haven't decided who…" The green-haired girl looks up at Iida, "In any case, this is all I could think of to keep running away until the end…"

"I expected no less of you, Midoriya-kun…" Iida mutters in a low voice.

At his tone, Izuku's emerald eyes widen and her breath hitches.

"But I am afraid that I have to refuse," Iida confesses. "Ever since the entrance exam, I just keep losing to you. You are a wonderful friend, but that's why, if I just keep following you, I will never grow." Iida pushes up his glasses before gazing at Izuku with serious indigo eyes. "Bakugo and Todoroki aren't the only ones who see you as a rival." Iida turns around and begins walking towards Todoroki and his team. "I will challenge you."

"Iida-kun…" Uraraka mutters, watching the bluenette in shock. Realizing how this must be affecting Izuku, the brunette quickly turns to the green-haired girl to check on her reaction.

 _It's already begun._

Izuku stares out at the field, taking in the predatory glares.

 _Everyone's an enemy._

 _That's right. I'm at the top right now._

A frown settles on Izuku's face.

 _I can't just play at being friends._

"As I thought, this is great!" The sound of an approaching engine draws Izuku and Uraraka to turn around. "You stand out!" A pink-haired girl leans forward, breaching Izuku's personal space. "Team up with me, person-in-first-place!"

"Ahh—so close! Who're you?!" Izuku panics at the sudden proximity of the goggle-wearing pink-haired girl.

The girl steps back as she giggles. "I am Hatsume Mei, from the support course!" The pink-haired girl lifts her goggles off her face.

"Oh, that weird person from back then." Uraraka recounts.

"I don't know you, but let me use your position!" Hatsume proposes.

Izuku is unnerved by the girl's bluntness. "She's honest!"

"If I team up with you," Hatsume suddenly closes the distance between her and Izuku. "Then I'll inevitably become part of the team everyone's watching most, right?" Hatsume gets even closer, "If that happens, then my super cute babies will inevitably be seen by the big companies." She gets even closer, causing Izuku to hastily step back. "That means, in other words, that those big companies will see my babies!"

Confused and overwhelmed, Uraraka tries to pacify the support course student. "W-Wait a minute. Babies and big companies? What are you—"

However, Hatsume ignores the brunette and continues to press the green-haired girl. "And, I think you guys will also benefit."

 _Oh, she's not interested in me…_ Uraraka shakes.

Hatsume moves on, opening a suitcase and revealing several gadgets. "The support course develops equipment that helps heroes deal with their Quirks." the girl explains, "I have a ton of babies, so I'm sure you'll be able to find one that you like!"

Izuku is a bit bewildered by Hatsume's enthusiasm, unsure of what to do or how to approach this situation. That is until Hatsume shows the green-haired girl a certain invention. "Oh, has this one caught your eye?" Izuku gasps as the pink-haired girl holds up a jetpack. "I made this based on a certain hero's backpack, adding my own original twist to it."

Izuku steps forward towards the girl, examining the invention in her hand. Upon recognition, Izuku points to it. "Could you be talking about the Buster Hero, _Air Jet_?"

Hatsume giggles an affirmative.

Her tension escaping and being replaced with enthusiasm, Izuku places her hands on the jetpack as she amicably fangirls. "I like him too!"

"Really?" Cheery, Hatsume responds.

"Yeah," Izuku nods, "His agency is close so I went to tour it before."

Uraraka stares at the two girls chatting with a blank face. _I see. They're already getting along._

After talking with Hatsume, Izuku switches her emerald gaze towards the rest of the students. _Not being able to team up with Iida-kun was a blow, but with Hatsume-san and Uraraka-san… I just need one more person._

Most of the participants have already grouped up and were discussing strategy.

 _It looks like everyone is pretty set on their teams already, huh?_

Izuku twirls around, scanning the area. _No, that's fine!_

 _The power our team is missing…_

The girl continues to search around the field, looking for that one person that fits their teams needs perfectly.

 _The one who can fill that spot is…_

Having spotted who she was looking for, Izuku's jade orbs dilate in focus before she marches over to the teen.

"Deku-chan?" Uraraka questions the girl's abrupt actions.

Determined, with her eye only on the one who could fill the last remaining spot on her team, Izuku approaches that person—Tokoyami. She puts her hand on the boy's shoulder. "... you!"

"Almost everyone here has their eyes on Class A. Why is that?" prompts Monoma to the rest of the Class B students. "And like Tetsutetsu said, Class A is full of themselves about it… It's strange, isn't it? The only difference between us and them is that they fought villains. Why were those of us in Class B happy with being in the middle of the pack?" The twisted blonde teen smirks, "Let's let that arrogant Class A know, guys."

Meanwhile, back with team Todoroki, the other three members listen as Todoroki delegates roles. "I chose you three because I thought it would be the most stable formation." Todoroki begins, starting with Kaminari. "Kaminari, you'll be the left wing, keeping the enemy away with your electricity." He then turns to Yaoyorozu. "Yaoyorozu, you'll be the right wing. You are in charge of insulation and assisting with defense and movement." He lastly turns to Iida. "Iida, you'll be in front as the main source of mobility and physical defense."

Iida prompts. "So, then, you will attack and create diversions with ice and fire, Todoroki-kun?"

Todoroki turns his gaze away from his teammates and up to the stands. "No." He glares at a certain flame-decorated figure. "In battle…" Todoroki clenches his fist tighter. "...I will never use my left side."

The buzzer sounds through the coliseum, marking the end of the strategy meetings. "Now then, it's about time to get started!" Midnight begins as she stretches her shoulders.

"Come on! Wake up, Eraser!" In the commentator box, Present Mic taps on Aizawa. "After fifteen minutes to form teams and talk strategy, twelve cavalry teams are lined up on the field!"

Aizawa comments after looking at the field and team combinations. "There are some interesting teams out there."

"Now, raise those battle cries!" Present Mic announces, "It's time for U.A.'s bloody battle! Light the signal fire!"

Izuku wraps her headband around her forehead, as Dark Shadow pops out in front of the cavalry shouting out, "Yeah!"

"Uraraka-san,"

"Yes!" Uraraka shouts.

"Hatsume-san,"

Hatsume giggles.

"Tokoyami-kun,"

"Yeah." Tokoyami responds.

With her jade orbs filled to the brim with determination, Izuku shouts. "I'm counting on you!"

The crowd goes wild as they anticipate the intense battle to come, cheering loudly to show their excitement and support.

"Now, let's go!" Present Mic riles up the audience. "Counting down to the brutal battle royal!"

"Three!"

A horse consisting of Kirishima in the front, Ashido on the right, and Sero on the left carries Bakugo as he cracks his knuckles. "We're aiming for…"

"Two!"

Todoroki mutters, "... one thing…"

"One!"

Izuku braces herself, steeling her resolve and determination.

"Start!" Midnight announces.

As soon as the call was made, several teams race towards Team Midoriya, aiming for the first place points of 10,000,325.

Even though she had predicted this would happen, seeing so many people charge at her still startles Izuku, causing the girl to flinch.

"It's basically a battle for the ten million points!" Tetsutetsu declares.

Hagakure laughs, "Izuku-chan, I'll take that!"

"An attack without delay, huh…" Tokoyami comments, "The fate of the pursued…"

 _Fate…_ Uraraka gapes at Tokoyami's words.

"Make your choice, Midoriya!" Tokoyami shouts to the girl above him.

 _Choice…!_ Hatsume blinks.

"Of course, our move is to run away!" Izuku declares without hesitation, her earlier startle long forgotten.

"I won't let you!" Tetsutetsu shouts as his vanguard—the skeletal looking boy, Honenuki Juzo—softens the ground with his Quirk.

This causes the ground around Team Midoriya's feet to soften, allowing the group to sink into it like it was quicksand. "What is this?" Uraraka questions, bewildered.

"We're sinking?" Izuku gasps as she turns her focus to Class B's Tetsutetsu's vanguard. "That person's Quirk, huh?"

"It's no good… I can't get out!" Uraraka shouts.

Hastily, Izuku calls out to the other two girls. "Uraraka-san! Hatsume-san! Turn your faces away!" She then pulls out the switch as the two girls do what she had told them to. Izuku presses the red button, spurring the jetpack into action. With great power and force from the jetpack, Izuku manages to lift the team out of the ground, making them take flight.

"They flew?" Tetsutetsu questions, bewildered, as his horse turns to follow Team Midoriya. "Thanks to the support course, huh? Follow them!"

Panicking from the sudden development, Hagakure calls out to her own vanguard. "Kyouka-chan!"

"I know!" Jirou responds as she darts her earphone jacks up into the sky after Team Midoriya. Tokoyami counters them in an instant with his Dark Shadow, causing Jirou to grit out. "Tokoyami!"

"Good!" Tokoyami praises his quirk before commanding it. "Dark Shadow, keep watch over our blind spots!"

"Got it!" Dark Shadow replies.

"Wow, that's so cool!" Izuku praises, "The defense that we were lacking… You're more than making up for it with your omnidirectional mid-range defense! That's amazing, Tokoyami-kun!"

Tokoyami glances up at the girl's eager face before turning away to face the front with a small blush dusting his cheeks. "You're the one who chose me."

"We're landing," Uraraka reports before she and Hatsume use Hatsume's hover shoes to soften the landing.

Izuku grins at her teammates. _Making everyone other than Uraraka weightless, so our weight is just Uraraka plus the equipment and clothes._

Upon landing, Team Midoriya does not dither around, they continue to run—always on the move. "What do you think of my babies?" Hatsume prompts. "Aren't they cute? Cuteness can be made, you know."

"Excellent mobility! The babies are amazing, Hatsume-san!" Izuku smiles confidently at the other girl.

"Right?" Hatsume affirms.

Uraraka pouts. "It's because I'm making them float…"

"We're going after them, too!" Hagakure declares. "Come on, Kyouka-chan, time to get revenge!"

Satou on Hagakure's left shouts in shock. "Hey, wait, Hagakure! Your headband is gone!"

"Huh?!" Hagakure sweats before she screams, "When did that happen?!"

Meanwhile, Team Monoma runs off as Monoma twirls Hagakure's headband on his finger. "Profiting while others fight."

"Now then, not even two minutes have passed and it's already turned into a free-for-all!" Present Mic rallies, "Fights over the headbands breaking out all over! Ignoring the ten million points and going for second to fourth places isn't bad, either!"

A laugh echoes through the field, causing Izuku to turn to the source. " _Fighting?_ No, this is—" Shouji is charging straight at Team Midoriya. "—a one-sided pillage!"

"Shouji-kun?!" Izuku shouts, bewildered. "What? By himself? But it's a _team_ battle!"

"Let's put some spaces between us for now." Tokoyami watches the Class B team charging at them before he suggests. "We can't be caught standing still against multiple opponents!"

The team tries to flee only for Uraraka to notice that her left foot is stuck. "Huh?! What?!"

"What's wrong, Uraraka-san?" Izuku questions as she turns to look down at the brunette who is struggling to get her foot free.

"I'm stuck!" Uraraka shouts.

Izuku gasps as she sees what is sticking Uraraka to the floor like glue. "That's Mineta's…!" Hastily, Izuku twists around looking for the source. "Just where did it come from?!"

"From here… Midoriya…" Mineta's voice echoes rather creepily from within Shouji's arm cage, the purple-haired boy sticking his hand out as if beckoning the green-haired girl.

"What?!" Izuku questions, "Is that allowed?"

On cue, Midnight answer, "It is!"

Mineta ducks back into the darkness of Shouji's arms before a quick tongue lunges out from within. Hastily, Izuku dodges it, instantly recognizing the tongue, as it reaches towards Tetsutetsu who just barely dodges the tongue's grasps.

"I didn't expect any less from you, Izuku-chan." Asui pops into view from within Shouji's arms.

"Asui-san, too!" Izuku gasps in shock before recovering to praise the large teen. "You're amazing, Shouji-kun!"

Asui retorts, "Call me 'Tsuyu-chan'!" Then the two within Shouji's arms disappear again to launch a full-on attack at Izuku, with Mineta throwing his super sticky purple spheres and an onslaught of attacks from Asui's tongue.

"Midoriya, get away!" Tokoyami shouts to the dodging girl.

Agreeing with the boy, Izuku presses the red button again, launching the team into the air once again—however, at the price of ripping off the hover soles of Uraraka's left shoe which had been caught by Mineta's sticky quirk.

"My baby was torn apart!" Hatsume cries at the sight of her invention being broken.

"Sorry!" Izuku quickly apologizes. "But we got away!"

As if by karma, an explosion sounds from below, causing Izuku to look down as her ash blonde childhood friend flies straight for her and her team. Izuku grunts, "Kacchan!"

"Don't get carried away!" With a blast, Katsuki propels himself so that he is eye-to-eye with Izuku in the sky, his hand out, reaching for her headband. Uraraka squeaks at the boy's sudden appearance. Katsuki screams as he extends his hand. "Damn it!"

Izuku raises her arm in front of her head as to shield the headband as she screams, "Tokoyami-kun!"

Dark Shadow moves, on cue, shielding Izuku from the blow of Katsuki's explosion. Both Izuku and Katsuki grits their teeth.

The crowd goes wild.

"What's with this guy?" Katsuki mutters as he begins to fall.

Meanwhile, Present Mic is riling up the crowd. "He's gotten separated from his horses! Is that okay?!"

Sero catches the falling Bakugo with his tape, reeling the boy back onto his mount. Kirishima praises his teammate, "Nice catch!"

"It's a technicality, so it's okay!" Midnight confirms as Sero catches Bakugo. "It wouldn't have been if he'd touched the ground, though!"

In the meantime, Team Midoriya takes this chance to land. Uraraka manages to stable out the landing with only one hover sole.

Izuku turns to the brunette, thanking her. "Thanks, Uraraka-san!"

"It's hard to control with just one foot," Uraraka informs her leader.

"Yeah, I know," Izuku affirms as the group continues to move. _Landing like this is inefficient… We can't run to the air anymore._

 _We'll have to survive this with our increased mobility from Uraraka-san's Zero Gravity and with Tokoyami-kun's Dark Shadow._

"Now, let's take a look at each team's points…!" Present Mic begins, "It's been seven minutes! Here is the current ranking up on the screen!" The screen changes into a scoreboard, showing each team's rank.

"Huh? It's kinda…"

The audience gives confused reactions towards the results on screen.

"What? Wait a minute!" Present Mic shouts, "Other than Midoriya, Class A isn't doing so well…"

"Bakugo? What…?"

The feeling of getting one's headband swiped right off their head isn't a pleasant one—especially for Bakugo Katsuki.

"Class A is too simple-minded." Class B's Monoma taunts as he swipes Bakugo's headband while he passes by.

"He got us!" Ashido gasps in frustration.

Katsuki turns to the other blonde boy, pissed off—not only by how the other boy had stolen his headband but also because of his insult. "What'd you say, bastard?!" Katsuki screams, "Give that back! I'll kill you!"

Team Monoma stops for their rider. "Since Midnight said it was the _first_ game, it wouldn't make sense for them to cut a ton of people in the qualifier, right?" Monoma turns as he prompts the other blonde. "Assuming they'd keep about forty people for the next stage, we just made sure we stayed within that number as we ran, observing from the back the Quirks and personalities of those who would be our rivals." Monoma elaborates, "There's no point in being obsessive over winning in the prelims, right?"

Crimson eyes narrow on the foxy blonde as Katsuki questions. "You did this as a class?"

"Well, it wasn't a consensus, but it was a good idea, right?" Monoma answers as he ties Bakugo's headband around his neck.

"Hey, they're coming!" The brown-haired boy on Monoma's left warns.

However, the blonde just continues. "It's better than going after a temporary "top" like a horse with a carrot waving in front of its face." At these words, Katsuki's eye twitches in irritation. Monoma acts like he just thinks of something and adds, "Oh, while I'm at it, you're famous, aren't you?" Monoma smirks, "As the victim of the sludge incident!"

Rage bubbles inside Katsuki as he sees where the other blonde is going.

"Tell me about it sometime—" Monoma mocks, "About how it feels to be attacked by villains once a year."

A low growl rumbles through Katsuki's throat as a vein pops from his head.

"Ah—now, that I think of it…" Monoma begins again, feigning innocence. " _That_ girl—the temporary first place—she was there too, right? Running in to save you—no wonder she beat you!"

"Kirishima… change of plans…" Katsuki snarls, his eyes twitching.

"Huh?" Kirishima turns around to look at Bakugo, only to release a startled cry at the other boy's expression and aura.

"Before we get Deku," Katsuki growls, a red aura of rage overflowing from him. "Let's kill all these guys!"

Monoma smirks at the ash blonde teens anger.

Meanwhile, on the other side of the field, Izuku observes the situations around her cautiously on the lookout. _Class B had a long-term strategy that involved throwing the qualifier, huh?_

 _It's true that they could leave a stronger impression by overturning the mood that favored Class A before the sports festival started._

 _But based on their way of thinking, it means they won't necessarily come after me._

Smiling with a small bit of relief, Izuku turns to her teammates. "Everyone it'll be easier to run aw—"

Izuku is cut off when Tokoyami suddenly drifts to escape a new enemy. Izuku had closed her eyes to brace the impact of the turn and only opens it once they had come to a stop. She gasps as she faces the next opponent—Team Todoroki.

Izuku exhales her held breath as she stares at Todoroki with her emerald orbs full of determination. "It won't be that easy, huh?"

Todoroki declares, "I will be taking that now."

* * *

 **Okay, I know this was pretty much the same (with some added stuff) but please bear with it! There is a reason for this which I am dying to share but that would ruin everything (so I must wait!)**

 **Anyways, not much to say here. I tossed and turned for ways to tweak the cavalry battle but there isn't much I can do to it-the developments that the cavalry battle incites is just too good.**

 **If you have any ideas, please comment!**

 **I hope you enjoyed the chapter!**


	18. Cavalry Battle - Second Half

**Hey guys! I finished this chapter earlier but got sidetracked with real life!**

 **Anyways, finally posting it now!**

 **Here we are, the rest of the cavalry battle...**

 **I'm squealing as I write this next chapter! So many emotions!**

 **Please comment if you have any ideas!~**

 **I hope you enjoy the chapter!**

* * *

Mineta's sobs can be heard from within the barrier, that is Shouji.

"It was a good plan, so I joined the team even though it was you." Asui sighs, "When did you lose it?"

"I don't know!" Mineta cries, "But now, there's nothing left to lose!" Shouji turns back to face the front as Mineta orders, "Shouji—full attack mode!" On cue, Shouji stretches out his arms, releasing the barrier he had created with them before he dashes forward towards Team Midoriya and Team Todoroki. Mineta declares, "We're gonna steal the points from those two teams with everything we've got!"

Meanwhile, Tokoyami comments, "I thought we would not have a confrontation until later in this contest. He seems to think highly of you, Midoriya."

"Only half the time left!" Izuku declares, "Don't stop moving." She motions for her horses to move.

At the same time, Todoroki orders his vanguard, "Iida, forward!"

"Right!" Iida responds as he powers up his engines and dashes forward.

"Yaoyorozu," Todoroki commands, "Prepare to guard us and conduct electricity."

"Right!" Yaoyorozu shouts as she immediately begins creating the requested items.

"Kaminari, you—" Todoroki begins.

However, Kaminari finishes for him. "I know what I have to do!"

Izuku grits her teeth as she warns her teammates. "Watch our surroundings. It's not just one group coming for us!"

Kaminari smirks, his golden irises dilated. "Make sure you guard well…!" Todoroki pulls up the sheet Yaoyorozu had created as the girl connects a metal leg to the ground. "Indiscriminate Shock…" Sparks of lightning flow from Kaminari's head as he shouts. "... 1.3 Million Volts!"

Electricity discharges from Kaminari, shocking everyone in the vicinity with the exception of his team who has an insulated sheet blocking it. Dark Shadow hastily blocks the attack, nullifying its effects on Team Midoriya.

On the other hand, the other teams scream as they are electrocuted by Kaminari's electricity with Jirou hollering, "Kaminari…!"

Once the shock is gone, Todoroki promptly drops the sheet and raises his right hand, letting the cold seep from it. "Less than 6 minutes left." He then dips down to reach for the lightning rod Yaoyorozu had created, freezing it over. "We can't back down now." In turn of freezing the lightning rod, Todoroki is able to use the remaining flow of electricity to connect his ice to the other teams, freezing them to the ground while they were paralyzed. "Sorry, but you'll just have to bear it."

"What? What'd he do?!" Present Mic announces, "Todoroki took care of the crowd of teams in an instant!"

"He froze them after Kaminari's shock stopped them…" Aizawa explains, "I guess it should be expected, but he took into account how a lot of people avoided it in the obstacle course."

"Nice commentary!" Present Mic praises his partner.

Todoroki uses his ice once again to grab ahold of several headbands from the frozen teams. "I might as well take these."

Kendo grits her teeth before she screams, "Damn it!"

"What/ Mine, too?" Another Class B student questions.

Todoroki freezes the path in front of them so they may not interrupt in case they do break free from the ice, creating a large glacier.

Meanwhile, back with Team Midoriya, the backpack Izuku is wearing blows out some smoke, signaling it has lost its function. "What?" Izuku questions, "The backpack's acting up?"

"Baby!" Hatsume cries, "There's room for improvement!"

"Oh no! It's too strong!" Uraraka shouts, "We can't get away!"

"I'll restrain them!" Tokoyami shouts as Dark Shadow's claw lunges for the approaching Team Todoroki.

Swiftly, Todoroki calls out for the ponytail girl, cueing her. "Yaoyorozu!" In an instant, Yaoyorozu creates a stone shield to block Tokoyami's Dark Shadow.

With the block being successful, Tokoyami has no choice but to retreat his Dark Shadow. Izuku comments, "Yaoyorozu-san's Creation is too hard to deal with!"

"No…" Tokoyami disagrees, "Rather, Kaminari is worse." He elaborates, "With that level of armor, if it had been sunlight, Dark Shadow would've been ripped apart."

Izuku gasps.

 _"_ _Right!" Izuku explains, "In any case, I want you to devote yourself to defense. You don't have to attack." The green-haired girl fidgets, trying to search her brain for a way to convince the boy to join her team. "So…"_

 _"_ _Interesting." Tokoyami comments._

 _Izuku blinks, confused._

 _"_ _My Quirk's offensive ability increases the darker it is, but it becomes fierce and difficult to control. On the other hand, under the sunlight, it becomes possible to control, but its offense becomes below average." Tokoyami elaborates, "To tell me I didn't have to attack with my Quirk without knowing that… It's a very unique choice, under the circumstances." A smirk spreads on Tokoyami's face. "Very well. Try using me."_

 _"_ _I leave it to you, Midoriya."_

Izuku grits her teeth. _How could I forget…?!_ "I see… Kaminari-kun's lightning…" The green-haired girl mutters.

"As long as he keeps discharging electricity, attacking will be difficult." Tokoyami notes, "Dark Shadow will become timid."

The dark bird-like boy sweatdrops as his Quirk, Dark Shadow sniffles. "I'm against violence…"

All of a sudden, the cavalry of Team Midoriya comes to a halt—having reached the perimeter of the battlefield. Izuku turns her head, measuring the distance with a glance between them and the borderline before she turns her attention back to the steadily approaching Team Todoroki.

"Decreased offense…" Izuku questions in a low voice. "They don't know that, do they?"

"I don't believe so." Tokoyami answers, "The only person I've told about this weakness is Kouda, at USJ, and he is a man of few words."

"If they don't know about it, then we can use it to hold them back." Izuku glances at Dark Shadow for a moment before lifting her gaze back at Todoroki. Her emerald eyes focus on Todoroki's left side—his flames side which she had noticed him never using in combat. Whether it was in class, during training, during the villain attack back at USJ, or even the previous sports festival event—Todoroki has never used the fire part of his Quirk.

Izuku wasn't quite sure of the reason why—but the reason didn't matter at the moment.

All she needed to do was to exploit this.

 _It's fine._

 _No matter what, we will hang on to the ten million!_

Meanwhile, back with Team Bakugo, Katsuki oozes out a dangerous, raging aura. Eyes twitching in anger, Katsuki growls. "Kirishima… change of plans…"

Monoma smirks at the ash blonde teen's anger, pleased. His teammates, however, were not pleased.

"Monoma, don't provoke him!" Dark-haired Kaibara Sen chastises the rider. "You'll be the same as him."

"That's right." Monoma feigns innocence as he shrugs. "It wouldn't be hero-like." The blonde taunts, "Besides, don't you often hear about heroes who get done in by villains who want revenge?"

 _You dare incite that I'm a villain…?!_ Katsuki tremors in absolute rage as he repeats, "Oh," over and over like a broken record—his voice growing gradually louder and tone increasingly sharper with each one. **_No point_** _in 'being obsessive over winning in the prelims', you say…? —_ _ **better**_ _than going after a temporary "top"?!_

"Bakugo, calm down!" Kirishima shouts at Bakugo, "If you don't calm down, we won't be able to get the points back!"

Katsuki punches a fist into his hand, inciting an explosion which covers the area in dark smoke.

 _Why the fuck are you even here then, huh?_

"Forward, Kirishima!" Katsuki growls through the smoke, ordering the redhead. "Right now…"

 _Even Deku is better off than you._

The smoke clears, revealing Katsuki's mouth widening into a mad, teeth-baring smirk. "I'm totally calm!"

Kirishima turns back to face the front. He can feel it—Bakugo's determination is like a clear, steady yet large flame. "We're seriously counting on you!"

"Go…!" Katsuki roars as Kirishima takes off, dashing at full force towards Team Monoma.

"Die…!" Katsuki screams as he lunges at the other blonde, who dodges the explosion simply and taps Katsuki's arm, shocking the boy temporarily. Katsuki quickly recovers, twirling around—only to be shot by an explosion to the face.

Monoma laughs, impressed. "Wow, what a nice Quirk!" He then taps the tip of Kirishima's spiky red hair as Katsuki recovers from the blast.

"That's my—" Katsuki grunts out. _—Quirk! But how?!_ Katsuki examines Monoma with cautious crimson orbs.

"Bakugo," Of course, the idiotic Kirishima does not give the blonde much time to think as he questions. "There's someone else with a quirk like yours?!"

Katsuki snaps, swinging his right hand at Monoma who quickly blocks the incoming explosion with his arm. "Damn it!"

"Really, such nice Quirks." Monoma taunts creepily as the smoke clears, revealing Monoma with hardened skin protecting him from the earlier blast. "Though, mine's better."

Katsuki flinches back as the revelation strikes him. On the other hand, Kirishima panics. "Wha…? Mine? The same again…?!"

"No." Katsuki puts a hand on Kirishima's shoulder to calm the idiotic redhead down. Katsuki's voice is strangely yet seriously calm as the ash blonde teen observes his opponents with cool ruby eyes. "This guy copied them."

"That's right!" Monoma affirms. The blonde smirks as he points to his head. "Well, even an idiot can figure it out, huh?"

Katsuki's stoic expression contorts into one of fury once again as he grits his teeth.

All of a sudden some sort of liquid floods the space between Team Monoma and Team Bakugo, causing Team Bakugo to back away from the other team as the liquid approaches them.

"Bondo!" Monoma prompts the other Class B team, "Picking a fight, huh?"

"Monoma!" Kaibara comments, "We just have to keep from getting caught now. With this many points, we'll definitely make it into the top four!" The horse of Team Monoma then turn around and begin to flee.

"After them!" Katsuki orders.

However, his horse cannot move. "It's solidifying!" Kirishima shouts, drawing Katsuki's attention to the liquid from earlier that now plastered Kirishima's foot to the floor. "Wow! I can't move!"

"Wait a sec!" Ashido moves her foot over the solidified liquid and begins spraying her acid on it. "I'll melt it with my Quirk!"

Sero looks up at the fleeing teams, checking the situation before urging the pink girl. "Hurry! We've got zero points right now! Hurry!"

Up ahead, Monoma pauses for a moment. "Oh," The blonde turns around flashing a smile at Bakugo. "Don't get mad at me. You're the one who provoked us, right? What did you say for the pledge again?" Monoma feigns obliviousness. "That embarrassing thing… Let me think…"

Katsuki's face contorts in pure rage, his teeth clenching so hard that he can feel it through the top of his skull.

"Oh well, you've done enough for today!" Monoma taunts.

 _"_ _I'll be number one."_

 _Number one._

 _Not just first place._

 _I'll take an indisputable first place!_

"Only one minute left!" Present Mic declares. "Todoroki made it so he'd have the ten million to himself to seize in an instant! At least, that's what I thought five minutes ago!" Present Mic announces, "But unbelievably, Midoriya has been able to keep away in that cramped space for five minutes!"

Team Todoroki steps forward, once again trying to seize the opportunity to steal Midoriya's headband. However, just as they move, Team Midoriya also moves back in the same manner. "Keep!" Izuku shouts.

 _She is keeping her distance, staying on the left side._ Todoroki observes, clenching his teeth. _She's paying attention. At this rate, if I want to freeze them over the shortest distance possible, I'll get Iida._

 _And if she keeps moving like this, I'll do myself in if I freeze indiscriminately._

"I'm not… done yet…" Kaminari mutters to himself as he is starting to lose it—having used a bit too much electricity now.

 _And Tokoyami can defend against Kaminari's electricity._

Todoroki glares at Midoriya. _One more minute._

 _The bitch…!_

"Everyone, there's less than a minute left." Iida begins, "You won't be able to use me after this. I'm counting on you!"

"Iida?" Todoroki questions the boy's sudden request.

"Hang on tight." Iida stretches his leg forward as he prepares his engines. "Make sure you get it, Todoroki-kun."

All of a sudden, huge flares beam out from Iida's calve engines as the boy shouts. "Torque over!" Iida rushes forward, so fast that Kaminari almost falls out.

Izuku calls out, "Kee—" Only to be cut off by the suddenly closed distance and the faint feeling of her headband slipping off. Izuku's emerald eyes widen. Her brain hasn't quite caught up with what had just happened yet.

"Reciproburst!" Iida shouts. The boy then drags his team across the smaller closed off field, away from Team Midoriya, halting as smoke blows from the dirt and Iida's engines.

"Wha…?!" Present Mic screeches, "What happened? So fast! So fast!"

Iida's teammates stare at the class rep in awe, their mouths agape and eyes wide.

"Iida, if you could accelerate that fast, the show us in the prelims!" Present Mic shouts.

"What was that?" Todoroki manages to mutter out, also still in slight shock.

Iida pants, catching his breath before he explains. "By forcing the torque and rotations to increase, I created an explosive power. With the recoil, my engine stalls after a while, though. It's a secret move I hadn't told anyone in class yet."

Izuku stares at Iida with wide dilated emerald pupils as she gasps.

"I told you, didn't I, Midoriya-kun?" Iida turns to the green-haired girl and gives her a smirk. "That I'd challenge you."

The crowd roars as Present Mic announces, "The tables have turned!"

"Offense and defense right at the edge! Reining that in, Todoroki gets the ten million!" Present Mic narrates, "And Midoriya is suddenly left with zero points!"

"Get back in there!" Izuku screams.

"As long as they have Kaminari, we'll be at a disadvantage if we attack!" Tokoyami retorts as a timid Dark Shadow shakes its head and Hatsume nods agreeing with the dark boy. "Won't it be safer to try for other points right now?"

"No!" Izuku shouts. "I don't know how the other points got split up! This is our only choice!"

Uraraka looks down for a moment before gritting her teeth and shouting. "All right!" The brunette begins running, pushing the group forward. "We'll get it back, Deku-chan! We definitely will!"

Izuku gasps as she turns to the girl. "Uraraka-san…"

 _"_ _I'll definitely become a hero and make money and let my parents take it easy."_

 _That's right…_ Izuku focuses on the opponent in front of them.

 _"_ _Let me use your position!"_

 _It's not just me._

 _"_ _I leave it to you, Midoriya."_

Izuku wills One For All through her right arm, letting it flow through her veins and down to her fingers.

 _The feelings of the three…_

Izuku grits her teeth as she pulls her hand back.

 _…_ _who trust in me…_

Todoroki gasps, his eyes widening at the sight of Midoriya actually using her Quirk.

 _I'm carrying all that right now!_

Izuku grits her teeth as she prepares for her attack. Todoroki hastily lifts his left arm, allowing the heat and flames to flow out in defense.

 _"_ _It was the first time… I tried to use this power on a person…"_

 _It's fine. Either way, I'm not gonna hit him._

 _Like cutting through air…_

Izuku reaches forward with her hand glowing with bright red markings as One For All pumps through her.

 _…_ _break down the opponent's defenses!"_

Swiftly, Izuku swings her right hand to the right, causing Todoroki's hand to fling the same direction as it is pushed by the force of her One For All powered swing. The flames flicker out as Todoroki's mismatched eyes move toward his extended left hand in shock. _My left… What am I…?_

Izuku, on the other hand, hastily reaches for the headbands on Todoroki's neck with her right hand. _It hurts, but it's not broken! He's turned them inside out to hide the point values, but he took the ten million last and put it on, so it must be the one on the top—and even if it isn't...!_

 _That doesn't matter… if I manage to grab multiple!_

Izuku manages to grab hold of the top two headbands around Todoroki's neck as her team passes by him hastily.

 _I got it…_

"I got it!" Izuku screams as she turns around.

The crowd goes wild once again.

A few minutes earlier, Monoma was looking up at the scoreboard with a smile. "Second, huh? We might've done a little too well for ourselves. Anyway, focus on keeping that spot."

"Wait!" Kirishima shouts from behind Team Monoma. "I said wait!"

"Geez, so persistent." Monoma sighs. "As a hero, not to mention as a person, that persistence will—" The blonde begins to turn around, only for his speech to be cut off by the sound of an explosion.

Katsuki propels himself off his horse using his explosion towards Team Monoma.

"Don't act on your own, Bakugo!" Kirishima shouts at the airborne blonde.

Shocked, Monoma hastily orders, "Tsuburaba!"

The hazelnut brunette shouts, "Guard!" as he takes a deep breath and blows out a solidified air shield. Katsuki hits the shield with a grunt and Tsurburaba Kosei cheers. "Yeah!"

Katsuki punches into the solidified air wall as Tsurburaba laughs. "You can't see this wall! Serves you right!" The boy the begins turning around, moving the cavalry.

With a powerful punch, Katsuki shatters the solidified air and snags the headbands around Monoma's neck, causing the whole team to freeze. Monoma turns towards the ash blonde teen as he pulls out two of the headbands, his eyes wide. "He took two!"

As Katsuki falls, Sero catches the teen with his tape, reeling him back onto his mount.

"Team Bakugo seizes two headbands to move to third place!" Present Mic announces the feat. "The rankings keep changing in the final stages! It's the passion of youth!"

Team Monoma continues to be on the run, blocking their opponents with quick solid air guards. "Damn it!" Monoma curses.

"It's fine. We're in fourth!" Tsuburaba reassures the rider. "Kendo has been frozen over and can't move!"

"Yeah…" Monoma agrees as he tightens his hold on the last headband. "As long as we defend this one to death, we'll definitely…"

Meanwhile, with Team Bakugo, Sero scolds their leader for jumping off by himself as the team continues to chase after Team Monoma. "I told you to say something if you're gonna jump!"

"But this means we'll definitely get through to the next round—" Kirishima starts.

"Not yet!" Katsuki screams.

"Huh?!" Sero shouts from the back.

Katsuki begins knocking his fist into Kirishima's hardened head. "We're gonna get an indisputable first place!"

From the commentators' booth, Aizawa watches that particular battle. _Monoma…_

 _Class B's strategy was certainly reasonable and good. But there is just one thing that is unfortunate…_

"I couldn't brace myself enough earlier on my own!" Katsuki yells, "Go!" The ash blond boy clenches his fist. "We'll get our points back, too, and then go for the ten million!"

At those words, Kirishima and Sero smirk as Ashido gasps softly.

Sero sighs exasperatedly at their leader's antics. "Geez!"

"Flat Face! Tape!" Bakugo orders, lifting his left foot.

"It's Sero!" Sero retorts as he extends his left arm and shoots his tape straight out, missing Team Monoma but makes its way in a straight path.

"Black Eyes!" Bakugo commands as he lifts his right leg, "Lay down a weak dissolving solution in the direction we're going!"

"A-Shi-Do Mi-Na!" Ashido spells out as she does what she is ordered to do.

From the stands, All Might watches as Bakugo leads his team.

 _Young Bakugo, you understand very well without being told, don't you?_

 _Those who are always aiming for the top, and those who aren't._

 _Their difference._

Katsuki blasts out explosions from his hands, boosting his team's speed.

Aizawa narrows his eyes. _You didn't take the difference in tenacity into consideration, did you?_

Katsuki shouts as he lunges for the last headband—successfully stealing it away from Monoma with an explosion.

"Bakugo is merciless!" Present Mic declares, "If he is gonna do it, he's gonna be thorough! He's, you know, a perfectionist!"

Team Bakugo moves up to second place with 1360 points.

Without wasting a moment, Katsuki turns to the large ice gate. "Next! We're going to where Deku and Todoroki are!"

"With just eleven seconds left, there's an angry retrieval here!" Present Mic announces.

"Wait a minute." Hatsume pauses the celebration. "Aren't these the wrong headbands?"

"Huh?" Izuku glances down at the headbands, reading the numbers '70' and '390'. Her eyes widen, "They got us!"

"Just in case, we changed the position of the headbands!" Yaoyorozu reveals. "You were naïve, Midoriya-san!"

Izuku grits her teeth.

"Todoroki-kun, get a hold of yourself!" Iida shouts at the still startled boy. "That was close!"

"Oh no! Team Midoriya didn't retrieve the ten million points!" Present Mic screams through his mic.

Izuku hastily looks up at the scoreboard. 70 _points plus 390 points is… 460 points…!_

 _It's not enough…!_

Izuku grits her teeth as she looks at her team's placement in 5th.

"Time's just about up!" Present Mic announces. "Start the countdown!"

A buzzer alarms that there are just 10 seconds left on the clock.

"Tokoyami-kun!" Izuku screams as Tokoyami immediately stretches Dark Shadow forward.

"Kaminari!" Todoroki shouts, signaling for the tearful blonde to release electricity. Todoroki grabs the sheet, covering the rest of the team as Kaminari discharges electricity, blocking Dark Shadow.

"Keh!" Tokoyami clicks his tongue.

All of a sudden, an explosions blasts some of the ice walls apart as Bakugo joins the fray. "Damn Deku!" He screams, midair.

"Bakugo!" Kirishima calls out as the horses rush over to the battleground.

Kaminari reaches his capacity, his mind short-circuiting as his eyes dilate and his mouth gapes. "Uwehhh…?"

Seeing the opportunity, Izuku shouts. "Uraraka-san!"

"Got it!" Uraraka screams as she dashes forward, straight for Team Todoroki.

Iida tries to dodge using his engine, but it is still in no shape to do so. Todoroki turns to the ponytail girl behind him. "Yaoyorozu!"

Izuku grits her teeth as she prepares to lunge once again.

Bakugo quickly realizes that Izuku doesn't have the 10 million points and hastily turns to Todoroki. "The ten million points are…?!" Todoroki takes the pipe that Yaoyorozu had created as both Izuku and Katsuki charge at him. "Half-and-Half Bastard!"

Todoroki freezes the pipe as he watches the two incoming riders.

" **Time's up!** " Present Mic's announcement causes all the teams to freeze mid-motion. Given how Bakugo was in the air at the time, the boy free falls straight into the ground. The audience roars. "That's the end of the second round, the cavalry battle!"

Izuku groans. _No…!_ She clenches her fists, pulling it towards her in frustration. _Damn it!_

On the other hand, the rest of Team Bakugo all gather to their fallen leader.

"Bakugo!" Sero shouts as they rush over to the blonde that lies face flat on the ground.

Kirishima questions with concern. "You okay?"

Frustrated, Katsuki slams his fist into the ground.

Besides Katsuki, Todoroki is also frustrated—though he does not display it in the same showy manner as Bakugo does as he gets off the cavalry. "Damn it."

"Now, let's take a look at the top four teams right away!" Present Mic begins.

"In first place, Team Todoroki!"

As the crowd cheers loudly, Yaoyorozu sighs. "Even though we won, it felt like we were skating on thin ice."

"Sorry…" Iida apologizes, clenching his fist. "I caused everyone trouble…"

"That's not true." Yaoyorozu insists. "Without you, we would not have won."

Meanwhile, Kaminari is in the background fluttering around with his derp face and thumbs up.

"In second place, Team Bakugo!"

Ashido releases a sigh of frustration. "Ah, we were close!"

"Well, second place isn't bad." Sero comments. "All's well that ends well."

Kirishima deadpans, "Do you really think that's how he feels?"

At the redhead's words, the trio turns their attention to Bakugo who begins screaming in frustration.

"In third place, Team Tetsute—" Present Mic does a double take. "Huh? What, it's Team Shinso?! When did you come from behind?!"

Ojiro looks around, finally snapping back into his senses. He then turns to glare at Shinso as the boy begins walking away with a smirk. "Thanks for your hard work."

Izuku wanders a bit away from her team, distraught. _I failed them…_ Izuku clenches her fist and bites her bottom lip as tears begin to swell up in her eyes.

The green-haired girl stops, allowing Hatsume to retrieve her jetpack from Izuku's back. Noticing Izuku's depression, Uraraka approaches the girl, "Deku-chan?"

"Um…" Izuku turns around to face the two girls, her head slightly lowered as to not show her tears to them. "I'm really sorry…"

"Huh?" The other two girls give Izuku a confused look. Then, realizing what was making Izuku apologize, the two girls open a path to show Tokoyami behind them—pointing to the dark boy.

Izuku blinks, confused.

"Todoroki was clearly shaken by your first attack." Tokoyami begins, "I had hoped to get the ten million points, but things don't always go as you wish." Beside Tokoyami, Dark Shadow rises.

Izuku gasps, her emerald eyes widening as they glisten—tears brimming her eyes.

"Even so, I got one." Tokoyami points to Dark Shadow's mouth which holds a headband reading '615' on it. "I took the one on his head where his guard was the weakest." Tokoyami elaborates, "Midoriya, this was thanks to the opening you created with your last spurt." Dark Shadow raises a thumb up.

Izuku begins flapping her mouth in astonishment before bringing her lips into a squiggly line. Tears flow from her eyes.

"In fourth place, Team Midoriya!"

In an instant, Izuku explode—crying a geyser of tears. The green-haired girl wails, screaming at the top of her lungs. Happy, Uraraka tackles her friend with a hug, petting the girl's soft curly green locks as she continues to cry. In turn, Izuku grabs hold of Uraraka as well, hugging her in joy. Tokoyami peers at the girls with a smile before looking up at the sky as Hatsume tries to fix her inventions.

"These four teams…" Present MIc announces, "...will advance to the final round!"

Todoroki watches as Midoriya Izuku continues to cry. The green-haired girl separates from her brunette friend who helps her back onto her feet. The half-red-, half-white-haired boy looks down at his left hand. ' _I won't use this to attack.'_

 _That's what I had decided, but I was overwhelmed…_

Todoroki clenches his fists, his mismatched eyes glowing. "I can't…" he mutters, "At this rate, I'll be doing what my old man wants…"

"Now, we'll take an hour's break for lunch before we start the afternoon festivities!" Present Mic declares as the audience begins filing out of the stadium for lunch. "See ya!"

Meanwhile, team Tetsutetsu is rather depressed. "What happened?" questions Tetsutetsu. "Before I knew it, we had zero points, and it was over…"

"Could it be punishment…" Shiozaki laments, "... for taking the small one's points in such an indecent way?"

Tetsutetsu grimaces, ruffling his silver hair in frustration before he snaps. "I can't accept this!"

Shinsou, who happens to be passing by team Tetsutetsu at that moment, smirks satisfied.

At that same moment, Asui fumes. "How frustrating…" The frog-like girl, however, does not stay like this long as she approaches her pink friend. She gives Ashido a genuine congratulations. "Mina-chan, congratulations."

Ashido rubs the back of her neck as she shakes her head. "Well, Bakugo just let me join to use against Todoroki's ice, so I don't know if it reflects my abilities."

A bit farther along the path, Uraraka is also fuming. "Iida-kun, I didn't know you had a special move like that!" Uraraka fumes as she does dashing motions in reference to Iida's earlier skill back in the match. "No fair!"

"It has nothing to do with fairness!" Iida corrects the girl while waving his right hand repeatedly. "I just wasn't using it as intended."

"Uweh!" Kaminari interjects as he gives the two a thumb up with his idiotic expression.

Sadly for Kaminari, he is ignored by his two classmates as Iida continues. "I wanted to do something that could compete with Midoriya-kun."

"It's that manly thing, huh?" Uraraka nods her head. The brunette pauses, twirling around to scan the area. "Speaking of which, where _is_ that 'Midoriya-kun'?" She turns back to Iida and tilts her head while asking, "Where's Deku-chan?"

"Hmm…" Iida also scans the area, "I believe Todoroki-kun had called out to her before we left."

In the tunnel of the faculty and student entrance to the stadium, two students stand, back against opposite walls.

Izuku's emerald orbs flitter as she stares into Todoroki's cold, gray and cyan ones. They were like ice. Izuku gulps, sweat slowly sliding down her cheek in the tension between her and her aloof classmate.

Unable to stand the tension any longer, Izuku questions. "What did you want to talk about?"

In the meantime, No. 2 Hero, Endeavor, is approached by No. 1 Hero, All Might. "Yo!" All Might is in his transformed state, his muscles bulging from his suit. "Long time no see! Let's have some tea, Endeavor!"

Endeavor's flames around his neck flicker as the man stops. "All Might…" Endeavor turns to glare at his rival.

Katsuki stands behind the wall of the intersecting hallway to the student and staff entrance and exit. The ash blonde teen is silent, keeping all his thoughts to himself as he allows the mismatched-haired boy confront the green-haired girl.

The boy hears everything and he listens to all.

* * *

 **So... I did change some factors within the cavalry battle!**

 **For one thing, I thought it was really stupid for Izuku to only grab one of the headbands without considering that the order was messed up. So, she grabbed multiple, like Bakugo had (though he was aiming for all of them.**

 **Of course, the points still add up so that Team Midoriya is last place though.**

 **Also, I found the anime messed up Todoroki's point headband. His original points was 615.**

 **Anyway, if you have any ideas please comment!**

 **I hope you enjoyed the chapter!**

 **Next up: Intermission**


	19. Intermission

**Okay, sorry it took so long! I got distracted along the way xd**

 **And then I got stuck at some parts but I managed to power through it!**

 **This one has a lot more extra content, so enjoy!~**

 **If you have any ideas please comment!**

 **Now, I hope you enjoy the chapter!**

* * *

"So… what did you want to talk about?"

Izuku's eyebrow twitches. _This is… uncomfortable._

Todoroki's heterochromatic eyes are staring into Izuku's emerald ones with a certain coldness to them. Having that gaze trained on her, Izuku pushes down the shudder that is spurring in her skin. This whole confrontation is a bit irksome.

"If we don't hurry, the cafeteria will probably be really crowded…" Izuku tries to reason with the boy. However, Todoroki stays silent and glaring. "Um…" Izuku gulps, paling as she grimaces.

 _He gives off a cold intimidation, different from Kacchan…_

"I was overpowered." Todoroki states.

Izuku's mouth drops as her peridot eyes widen—no words able to escape.

"So much so that I broke my pledge," confesses Todoroki.

Though Izuku didn't have much context to go off of, she had a feeling that she knew what Todoroki was referring to. Her gaze draws towards Todoroki's left hand which is tucked away in his pocket. _He didn't use it even if it would be to his advantage…_

 _His left side…_

Todoroki takes out his left hand, raising it so he can look at it. "Iida, Kaminari, Yaoyorozu, Tokoyami, Uraraka… None of them felt it." He begins, "At that last instant,

I was the only one who was overpowered." Todoroki elaborates, "Only me, who had experienced All Might's full power up close."

Panic bubbles within Izuku but the girl locks it down; restrains it. "What… does… that mean…?" Izuku manages to mutter.

"It means I felt something similar coming from you." Todoroki answers without even looking at the girl—instead, he continues to stare at his left hand.

Izuku releases a gasp, clenching her teeth as her jade orbs dilate.

"Midoriya, are you…" Todoroki starts.

Izuku braces herself for the question. Someone as intelligent as Todoroki with his great sense of battle must have realized it—the truth. She wasn't prepared to break the promise she had made, though.

"... All Might' secret love child or something?" Todoroki glares at the girl as he questions this.

Izuku pauses at this question—her eyes dilated. _Secret… love child…?!_

 _Where did that conclusion come from?!_

She then remembers Todoroki's words prior to the sports festival, back in the locker room.

 _"All Might has his eye on you, doesn't he?"_

Izuku's eyes are blank and her mouth is agape as she stares at the very serious boy in front of her.

 _I-I see… So that's what he was thinking!_

"Well? Are you?" Todoroki prompts.

"Th-That's not it!" Immediately, Izuku panics in finding a way to explain it all to Todoroki without revealing the secret of One For All. "Though, I mean, even if I was, I would say I wasn't… so, I don't think you'd believe me, but anyway, that's not how it is…" Izuku scrambles, "In the first place, let me ask _you_ something…" Todoroki lowers his head slightly as Izuku questions. "Why do you think that about me…?"

"Since you said, 'that's not how it is,'" Todoroki deadpans.

 _I am an idiot…!_

Todoroki analyzes, "That means there's a connection between you two that you can't talk about, right?"

Izuku parts her mouth before closing it and averting her gaze.

Todoroki watches the girl's reaction, seeing how Midoriya seems to be at a loss at what to say. He decides to move the conversation along. "My old man is Endeavor." He confesses, "I'm sure you know that he's been stuck as the number two hero for forever. If you have something from the number one hero, then I…" Todoroki glares. "...have even more reason to beat you."

While Izuku is stuck in an intense confrontation with Todoroki, All Might confronts Todoroki's father, Endeavor. "Yo! Let's have tea, Endeavor!"

"All Might…" Endeavor turns to glare at the No. 1 Hero.

"I haven't seen you since that talk we had with the press ten years ago, huh?" All Might begins, "I saw you, so I thought I'd say hi."

"I see." Endeavor turns back around, "Well, you've already done that. Leave me." The Flame Hero begins walking down the staircase, leaving All Might behind. Endeavor grumbles, "Tea? What a joke. I'm going to the restroom. Begone!"

All Might laughs loudly as he somersaults over Endeavor, landing on the ground in front of him. "Don't be so cold!"

Endeavor clicks his tongue.

"You're son, Young Shouto, did wonderfully without even using half of his power." All Might praises. "Was it because he was taught well?"

"What are you trying to say?" Endeavor questions, skeptical.

"Why, I seriously want to know how to raise the next generation." All Might answers earnestly.

"Do you think I'd tell you?" Endeavor walks down the stairs mumbling. "You look clueless as usual, and it's getting on my nerves." The man bumps into All Might as he pushes past him.

All Might, feeling down, apologizes. "Sorry…"

Halfway down the next flight of stairs, Endeavor pauses and turns to All Might. "Just remember this—" Endeavor smirks, "I will make that into a hero that will surpass you one day. That was why I created him."

All Might's smile falls as the creases in his brow increases. "What are you…?"

Endeavor glares at the other man, "He's in his rebellious stage right now, but he will definitely surpass you." He declares, "I will make sure of it!"

"My old man has a strong desire to rise in the world." Todoroki reveals, "As a hero, he won a name for himself with crushing force. Because of that, the living legend, All Might, is a great eyesore to him."

Izuku's mouth is agape as continues to stare at Todoroki who has long averted his cold eyes from her to something more distant.

Todoroki continues. "Since he couldn't surpass All Might, he moved onto his next plan."

"What are you talking about, Todoroki-kun…?" Izuku inquires a bit lost at the sudden change in the conversation's flow. "What are you trying to tell me?"

Todoroki turns back to face Izuku. "You've heard of Quirk marriages, right?" He prompts. "That thing that became a problem for the second and third generation after superpowers appeared. Choosing a spouse based only on strengthening your own Quirk and passing it onto your children, forcing people into marriage." Izuku's body feels cold as the dots connect in her mind and Todoroki affirms it. "He is a man with both accomplishments and money. He won over my mother's relatives and got a hold of my mother's Quirk. He is trying to fulfill his own desire by raising me to be a hero to surpass All Might."

Izuku gasps. At that moment, Todoroki looked so cold, so frightening—so _dead_.

"It's so annoying…" Todoroki growls, "I won't become the tool of scum like that."

Izuku is silent, unable to think of any words to say to the boy. But there is no need as Todoroki continues. "In my memories, my mother is always crying." Todoroki raises his left hand and places it over the left side of his face, covering it from view. "' _Your left side is unsightly,'_ my mother said as she poured boiling water on me."

Izuku's emerald orbs widen as she gasps, a chill running down her spine at the thought. She could imagine it—a young Todoroki and his mother's spiteful words and the pain.

"Basically, I picked a fight with you to show him what I can do, without using my damn old man's Quirk…" Todoroki lowers his hand, revealing his deadly cold mismatched eyes. They were so distant, so cold that it frightens Izuku.

"I'll reject him completely by winning first place without using it." Todoroki declares, seemingly forgetting about Izuku entirely as he glares at something distant with the icy rage within him.

Katsuki is silent.

His initial reaction is shock—Todoroki's backstory was quite a shocker. Katsuki has always had a more rough relationship with his mother while his father has always been the meek one of the family; so, usually, all punishment came from her. He was used to it—there wasn't anything traumatic about it. But, Todoroki, on the other hand, had a trauma. At a young age, he was burdened with the No. 2 Hero's legacy and the apparent disgust from his own mother towards himself.

 _So what—though?_

 _Everyone has their own backstories—what are you trying to get out of revealing your fucked up one?_

Katsuki's crimson eyes narrow as his face contorts into a scowl.

 _And to fucking Deku of all people._

Katsuki's secondary reaction is anger.

 _What are you trying to do, get some fucking sympathy?_

The image of young Izuku's outstretched hand pops into mind. _"Are you okay?"_

Then the image of her tearstained face as she desperately reaches for him. _"You looked like you were asking for help…"_

Katsuki's crimson orbs narrow.

The anger is swiftly replaced with irritation.

Katsuki stays silent.

Izuku looks down. _How can it be that we are so different…_

Todoroki leaves the wall he was leaning on and begins to walk away.

 _…even though we are aiming for the same thing…!_

"I don't care if you can't tell me how you're connected to All Might," Todoroki states as he continues to walk.

Izuku lips part as her eyes widen at those words. _Oh._

"No matter what you are to All Might," Todoroki declares, without even glancing at Izuku. "I will rise above you with just my right side. Sorry for wasting your time."

Izuku closes her mouth as her lips slide into a frown. _If this were a comic, he'd be the main character._

She watches his receding back and half red, half white hair sway with every step. _Especially, with that kind of backstory…_

Her lips perk up into a grimace. _Compare to that, what could I say…?_

Izuku leans off the wall and take a step forward, one by one until she begins to jog to Todoroki. "I…!" She begins as Todoroki stops in the road. "I have always been supported by others." Izuku confesses, "That was the case earlier, too." Her emerald eyes narrow on her right hand which she lifts into view. "I am here because of the people who have sipported me."

 _"It's all right young lady, I am here!"_

 _"Is it possible for me to give her some of my points?"_

 _"I'll support you openly with everything I've got from now on!"_

 _"You can't be a hero with just one trick."_

 _"I guess it's like we've cleared the first hurdle."_

 _"Move! You're in the way, Deku!"_

 _"Team up with me, Person-in-first-place!"_

 _"I took the one on his head where his guard was the weakest."_

 _"You can become a hero."_

Izuku clenches her right hand. "Saving people with a fearless smile, the greatest hero—All Might."

"I want to be like him." Izuku declares calmly, "In order to do that, I have to be strong enough to become number one." Todoroki turns to look at the girl as she continues. "My motivation might seem trivial compared to yours," Izuku lifts her head—her emerald orbs staring straight at Todoroki with clear determination. "But, I can't lose, either." Izuku elaborates, "I have to live up to the hopes of those who supported me."

Todoroki stares at the girl—watching her determination.

"That declaration of war you gave earlier—" Izuku begins, "I'll return that." She clenches her fist tighter before declaring. "I will beat you, too!"

 _This girl…_ Todoroki's gray and cyan orbs pierce Midoriya's green ones for a moment. The two are frozen in place, staring into one another's eyes as the wind brushes their hair. Then, without a word, Todoroki turns away from Izuku, walking away from the girl and leaving her in that place without looking back.

From behind the wall, Katsuki leers at the scene in silence before he turns away, deciding to take a different path out of the stadium.

After Todoroki had left, Izuku rushes for the cafeteria, realizing how long she had taken. _Oh no! Please don't be crowded!_

Unfortunately for the green-haired girl, the cafeteria was indeed crowded.

Izuku weeps silently at the sight of the long line and sighs. _Well, I guess I'll just have to get in line…_ The green-haired girl begins to approach the line, distraught only to freeze when she hears her name being called.

"Deku-chan! Over here! Over here!" Izuku quickly turns to the direction of the voice, finding Uraraka standing in her seat and waving her hand in the air. Izuku blinks, unsure of whether she should continue to go to the line or head over to her brunette friend without any food. However, when Uraraka raises a tray of food in the air and points to the seat next to her, Izuku almost instantly maneuvers over to her friends.

When she arrives at the table, she finds Iida scolding Uraraka for standing on the chair. "Uraraka-kun, the chair is not a stair, you should be more respectful towards the chairs that have seated our upperclassmen and fellow classmates."

"Sorry, sorry." Uraraka scratches the back of her head as she apologizes. Upon noticing Izuku arriving at the table, the brunette immediately pats the seat next to her. "I'm glad you came Deku-chan! I didn't know if you would make it before your food turned cold!"

Izuku pulls the chair and slides into it with a small smile. "Sorry, I didn't think that I would take so long…" Izuku turns her head to look at her food and is happily surprised to find her favorite katsudon in front of her. Her grin grows at the sight. "Thank you for getting me my food. I would have had to stand in that line if you hadn't."

"You're welcome—is what I want to say," Uraraka starts, as she leans towards the table and points at the straight-laced boy across from her. "But, it was really Iida-kun's idea!"

Immediately, Izuku thanks the boy. "Thank you, Iida-kun."

"You are very welcome, Midoriya-kun." Iida smiles, before turning to his regular rigid self again. "Now, eat—eat! You must renourish the energy you had used in the previous stages, so you will be ready for the next stage."

"Yeah!" Izuku nods before clapping her hands together, politely. "Itadakimasu." She then digs into her katsudon. Not only had she participated in both stages but with the addition of the tense encounter with Todoroki, Izuku was starving.

Uraraka and Iida exchanged relieved smiles after watching their friend eat. The two then dive into their own lunches, just as hungry as Izuku is.

In the meantime, a certain pair of boys approach two girls in the cafeteria. Kaminari calls out to his two female classmates. "Yaoyorozu, Jirou."

"Hm?" Both dark-haired girl turn to Kaminari who is with Mineta. "Did you need something?"

"Well, I'm sure you already know since you're a class rep and all," Mineta turns around to point at some cheerleaders skipping through the hall. "but they said everyone has to wear those clothes to do a cheer battle in the afternoon."

"E-Eh?!" Jirou jolts at this as heat rises in her cheeks.

"I didn't hear anything about an event like that, though…" Yaoyorozu tilts her head as she tries to recall the event.

"You don't have to believe me, but we heard from Aizawa-sensei." Mineta states as Kaminari nods in the background. "I thought maybe you'd forgotten, so I'd tell you just in case."

"Now that lunch is over, it's finally time to reveal the last game!" Present Mic announces, "But before that, there's good news for all of you who didn't make it to the finals!" Students begin filing back onto the field as Present Mic continues, "This is just a sports festival! So we've prepared recreational games that everyone can participate in, too! We've even brought real cheerleaders from America to liven things up!"

In the sidelines, foreign cheerleaders perform and cheer. "Oh! Yes! Oh! Yes! Oh!"

"Hmm?" AIzawa hums as he catches sight of an odd group on the field, dressed like the cheerleaders.

"Huh?" Present Mic notices it as well.

Aizawa questions, "What are they doing?"

Seven girls are lined up, holding golden yellow pom-poms in their hands with rather distraught faces. All of the girls are dressed in the orange cheerleader uniform which consists of a miniskirt and a croptop shirt with green accents. Around their necks are green and yellow striped chokers and across their chests is the letters 'U' and 'A' in green with yellow outlining.

"What's the matter, Class A? What kind of fan service is that?" Present Mic pounces.

In the sidelines, Kaminari and Mineta exchange a thumb up with blushes on their cheeks.

"Mineta-san! Kaminari-san!" Yaoyorozu yells in anger at the two boys. "You tricked us, didn't you?!"

Yaoyorozu sighs while dropping to the ground. "Why am I always caught up in Mineta-san's schemes?" Uraraka kneels next to the vice class-rep and pats her back with an awkward smile. "I even used Creation to make the outfits…"

Jirou's cheeks are flushed as she throws her golden pompoms to the floor in a fit. "Those guys are so dumb!"

Unlike Jirou, Hagakure is actually seemingly pleased by the development. The invisible girl waves her pompoms in the air. "Well, there's still time before the finals, and it'd be a pain if things got tense." Hagakure then begins flailing her arms in the air and waves the pompoms all over. "It's fine! Let's do it!"

"What?!" Jirou shrieks in shock by Hagakure's shamelessness.

Asui leans over and deadpans, "Touru-chan, you like this, huh?"

Izuku pulls on her skirt, trying to lower the miniskirt. She felt uneasy with the skirt being so short and puffy. "This is a bit embarrassing though…" A small blush dusts her cheeks, "It doesn't really suit me…"

"There's no need to be!" Ashido gives Izuku a reassuring grin. "And it looks good on you, so be confident, Midoriya!"

"Yeah, it looks really good on you, Midoriya." Mineta raises a thumb up as he smiles. Kaminari nods in agreement.

Jirou immediately shoots her earphone jacks at the two, glaring at them with flushed cheeks. "Don't look at her with your dirty eyes."

"Aww… don't be like that!" Kaminari whines before he looks Jirou up and down. Jirou's face heats up at the notion as Kaminari grins at her. "You look good too, Jirou."

Jirou's whole face flushes red and her mouth twitches agape.

Kaminari screams echoe through the stadium as Jirou's earphone jacks hit his eyes.

"All right, everyone! Let's have fun competing in the recreational games!" Present Mic announces, "When that's over, the sixteen from the four teams that made it to the final round will duke it out tournament style, one-on-one!"

"The last round is a tournament where we fight one-on-one, huh?" Kirishima grins in excitement. "I'm gonna stand on the stage that I watch every year on TV!"

"Was it a tournament last year?" Ashido asks from behind Kirishima, prompting the redhead to turn to her. A small blush dusts his cheeks as he notices the cheer girl uniform Ashido is wearing.

"It's a different every year, but there's a one-on-one competition every year." Sero explains for him, despite also being a bit distracted by the girls' cheerleader uniforms. "Last year, it was a sports chanbara match."

"Now, let's draw lots to determine the bracket." Midnight holds up a yellow box labeled 'Lots'. "Once the bracket is determined, we'll have the recreational games and then start!" Midnight elaborates, "The sixteen finalists can choose whether or not they want to participate in the recreation. I'm sure some of you want to rest or save your strength." She begins walking off stage, "Now, from the first-place team—"

"Um..!" Ojiro raises his hand. "Excuse me. I'm withdrawing."

All the students around the blonde teen turn to him shock. From behind Ojiro, Izuku questions. "Ojiro-kun, why?"

Iida, in front of Ojiro, joins. "This is a rare chance for pros to see you!"

Ojiro lowers his hand as he confesses. "I barely remember anything from the cavalry battle until almost the end." Izuku gasps at this new piece of information as Ojiro continues. "I think it was that guy's Quirk."

 _If I remember correctly, Ojiro-kun was with…_ Izuku then turns to scan the students, stopping on the tall purple-haired boy who averts his gaze from the others.

"I know that this is a great chance and that its foolish to waste it…" Ojiro clenches his fist in frustration. "But—!" The sudden outburst causes the other to hold their breath as they listen to Ojiro. "Everyone here competed by giving their all! I can't… I can't be up there with everyone without knowing what really happened."

"You're worrying too much about it!" Hagakure tries to convince her friend while waving her pompoms in the air. "You should just make sure you produce results in the finals!"

"If you're gonna say that, I didn't do anything either." Ashido attempts to reassure the blonde.

"That's not it…" Ojiro covers his face with his hand. "I'm talking about my pride here… I can't…"

Izuku releases her held breath, looking down at the ground. She could fully understand where Ojiro was coming around with this. She can't exactly speak since she isn't in his position, but she is sure she would have done the same as him and withdrawn.

"Also, why are you guys wearing cheerleader outfits?" Ojiro deadpans amidst his emotional speech.

All the girls gulp and look away, depressed.

"I'm Shouda Nirengeki from Class B." A short boy with light blue hair walks forward. "I also want to withdraw for the same reason." Shouda fists his hand, "Regardless of ability, don't you think it goes against the goal of this sports festival for those who didn't do anything to move onto the final round?"

"Khh!" Kirishima grits his teeth as tears brim his eyes at the display of sportsmanship from the two other boys. "What's with these guys?! They're so manly!"

"This is an unusual turn of events…" Present Mic comments from the commentator's box.

Aizawa replies, "We'll have to see what the chief umpire, Midnight, has to say about this…"

Midnight stands before the students, head held high as she speaks. "Youthful talk like that is something…" She swings her whip with a smile. "… I like! Shouda! Ojiro! I accept your withdrawal!"

 ** _She decided based on her tastes…!_**

Aoyama puts a hand on Ojiro's shoulder, drawing the boy's attention to him. "I'm going to do it, okay?"

"In that case, we'll have to move up two people from fifth place cavalry battle team…" Midnight ponders.

Kendo perks up at this. "If that's what's going to happen, then rather than us, who baredly did anything during the cavalry battle," The orange-haired girl motions to her teammates over her shoulder. "It should be them, right?" Kendo checks that all her teammates nod and voice their agreement before she continues. "The ones who fought to the end and stayed in the top, Team Tetsutetsu, right?"

"Oh," Tetsutetsu jolts at his name being called. "Kendo…!"

"This isn't collusion or anything. It just makes sense." Kendo reassures her classmates.

"Y-You guys…!" Tetsutetsu wails, touched.

Team Tetsutetsu then decide who will go on to the next round and tell Midnight who announces it. "And so, Tetsutetsu and Shiozaki have moved up to make sixteen!" She then snaps her whip as the bracket is revealed. "This is the bracket based on the results of the drawing!"

The crowd roars at the result.

At the revealing that they were being matched against each other, both Kirishima and Tetsutetsu shout. "Again?! This is too redundant!"

Tokoyami turns to Yaoyorozu, "I'll give it my all."

"Th-That's what I want!" Yaoyorozu retorts.

"Merci!" Aoyama winks at Ashido. "Too bad you got me as your opponent."

"You mean, too lucky!" Ashido grins.

Izuku walks forward to get a better look at the screen with the matchups on it. _The first match of the first round, huh?_ Her jade eyes wander to the next branch, catching Todoroki's name with Sero's.

 _If both Todoroki and I win, then…_

Izuku frowns, pushing the thought away. _Before that, if I remember correctly, Shinsou was…_

"It's you, isn't it? Midoriya Izuku." A sudden deep voice causes Izuku to jump, startled.

Hastily, Izuku twirls away from the intruder and gasps at the sight of the tall purple-haired teen. _This person…_

 _"Depending on the results of the sports festival, they'll consider our transfer into the hero course."_

 _… is from general studies…_

"Looking forward to the first match." Shinsou comments, eying the green-haired girl in the cheerleader outfit.

Izuku blinks for a moment, then realizes she has to respond. "M—" However, just as she is about to return the formality, a tail covers her mouth.

"Midoriya!" Ojiro scolds the green-haired girl from behind as he glares at the purple-haired boy.

Shinsou flashes a smirk before he turns and walks away.

At the sight of Shinsou withdrawing, Ojiro releases his tail from over Midoriya's mouth. Izuku turns to the boy while intaking a small breath. "Ojiro-kun, what's the matter?"

"Don't answer him." Ojiro whispers with a serious face.

Izuku's breath hitches at Ojiro's tone.

 _It'll be sooner than I expected…_ Todoroki stares at the brackets, heterochronic eyes narrowing on Midoriya's name. _Come, Midoriya._

 _I'll defeat you with this hand._

Similarly, Bakugo eyes the names 'Midoriya' and 'Todoroki. _So they're going to face off so soon, huh._ He then scans the screen for his own name before looking at his opponent's. "Huh? Uraraka?"

Behind him, a certain brunette pales and trembles as she internally shrieks.

Meanwhile, Hatsume approaches Iida who is looking at the screen. "Are you Iida?"

The sudden question causes the class rep to turn to the support course student. "Hm? Indeed, I am Iida."

"Oh good!" Hatsume smiles before she leans forward, her eyes gleaming. "Actually…"

While the participants are doing their own thing, the screen showing the bracket changes to say 'Recreation'. "All right!" Present Mic comes back, "Let's leave the tournament aside for a momentary interlude!" He shouts, "Let's have fun with the recreation!"

Fireworks blast into the air popping into several colors of the rainbow.

"All right!" Hagakure cheers as she jumps into the air. The rest of the girls are around her with Uraraka, Asui, and Ashido making an effort to do some sort of improvised routine while Jirou pouts, sitting on the ground and Yaoyorozu sighs. Izuku weakly raises her pompom in the air as she sweatdrops, looking for an opportunity to escape.

It was only when Yaoyorozu gives Izuku a reassuring smile that Izuku feels that it is safe for her to leave and change.

Prior to being dragged into the cheer routine, she had asked Ojiro for some time to tell her all he knew about Shinsou's ability. Unfortunately, before she could escape, Hagakure and Ashido had dragged her away and Ojiro gave her a sympathetic look before telling her he'd wait in the waiting room for her.

Having slipped away, Izuku takes this chance to take a deep breath and sigh. She is now in the hallway, heading towards the locker room so that she could change.

 _As I thought, I'm not really suited for these kinds of stuff…_ Izuku looks down at her skirt, pulling at the ends slightly with a small frown. _Girls like Hagakure-san or Ashido-san or Uraraka-san suit these sorts of clothes better. On someone plain like me, they look weird._

Stuck in her head, Izuku turns the corner without much thought—only to bump into something hard. Staggering back slightly, Izuku brings her hands to her forehead, where the impact had been at its worst. "Ow…"

"Hey!" A familiar shout causes Izuku to jolt, her head instantly snapping up to look at Katsuki's face. "Watch where the hell you're going—" Katsuki stops when his crimson eyes take in the green-haired girl before him. Izuku tenses under his gaze, nervous as her emerald orbs avert towards the ground. He blinks once—then, twice. "What the fuck are you wearing, Deku?"

"K-Kacchan! Eh—um… well, you see…" Izuku squares her shoulders as she unconsciously tries to become smaller. _From Kacchan's reaction… it seems he hadn't noticed that all of us were dressed like this…_

The green-haired girl fiddles with her fingers as she tried to find the words to explain everything. "Yaoyorozu-san was tricked by Mineta-kun and Kaminari-kun… and, so, we were all…"

Katsuki was only half-listening to his childhood friend's stammering, taking the chance to examine the girl's altered appearance. Izuku is wearing an orange crop top that's loose on the bottom but tight enough to show off her not-flat chest, defining her more feminine features, with the green and yellow striped v-neck collar just barely covering her the top of her chest. In the open space below her top and above her orange miniskirt, some abs peek out, revealing Izuku's physically fit status with the addition to her exhibition of slim-fit muscles. The miniskirt is only a quarter way down her thigh and by the way the girl is squirming, it was probably the major reason of discomfort. Rather than her usual red hightops, Izuku is wearing pink sneakers and long white socks that almost are knee-highs with green accents. Despite the obvious change in appearance, though, what really draws Katsuki's attention is Izuku's face.

Izuku's freckled cheeks were flushed with her large emerald eyes averted as she stammers. Her curly green hair is tied up in a small ponytail at the back of her head like it has been since the start of her high school year.

"And well… you know how pushy Hagakure-san and Ashido-san can be—" Izuku's stammering is cut off when she hears a small chuckle. Shocked, the green-haired girl hastily looks up at the ash blonde boy.

"You're still the same shitty Deku, no matter what you wear." Katsuki huffs before pushing past the shocked Izuku. "Hurry up and change out of that fucking crap."

Despite the gruff tone, there was no real malice in his voice.

* * *

 **Okay, so I may have been pushing it just a smidge.**

 **I really wanted to see how Bakugo would react to Izuku in a cheerleader uniform, you know?!**

 **But, well, that was the hardest part... like, em How would Bakugo react?! /em**

 **My art is on my tumble (kingkagura) and my deviantart (anime-luvrhes)!**

 **Or just check out the story on AO3 if you want to see the pictures!**

 **Here are some links:**

 **anime-luvrhes . deviantart/** **art/Dreams-Can-Become-Reality-Ch-19-748458124?ga_submit_new=10%3A1528273094**

 **kingkagura . tumblr/ post/174624425318/this-is-the-girls-doing-their-cheer-in-chapter-19**

 **Anyways, please comment if you have any ideas!**

 **I hope you enjoyed the chapter!**


	20. Midoriya vs Shinsou

**Hey! Sorry for the late chapter! It took me a bit to write since I got distracted!**

 **Soon I will be back in school! Luckily I get Friday off but I also have an online class and I have school Monday-Thursday for a majority of the day! So I'll be slowing down with the chapter writing! (It's a chem class so I won't have much free time.)**

 **Anyways, here is Midoriya vs. Shinsou!**

 **Please comment if you have any ideas!**

 **I hope you enjoy the chapter!**

* * *

"Hey guys, are you ready?!" Present Mic prompts with a scream. The crowd roars in response as the pro hero continues, "A lot's happened, but it's now come to this! A serious battle! You can only depend on yourself!"

Izuku inhales, holding her breath as she listens to the announcement.

"Even if you're not a hero, you'll face lots of situations like that!"

Izuku holds her hand over her heart, feeling the dull thud against her chest.

"Heart, skill, body, wisdom, and knowledge! Use all of that to rush up!"

Izuku exhales from her nose. Her eyes are shut and her hand over her heart, as she tries to will the nervous heartbeat to calm. There was a small feeling in her gut—a sort of jittery shiver deep within her core.

"Hey!" A call with a whisper tone draws Izuku from her concentration. Izuku's eyes snap open and the girl twirls around to find All Might, in his true form, walking to her. "Sorry I'm late, but…" He raises a thumb up with a smile. "You figured out One For All, right?"

"All Might…" Izuku looks down, her emerald eyes narrowing. "No, I'm still worried…" She elaborates, "I can see it in my head by imagining the microwave and how I hit the villain, but it still feels unsteady if I don't focus like it'll fall apart… Besides, as you saw with my current body, even if I succeed, I just end up with a little more power…"

"Yes," All Might puts a hand on his chin, "If we talk in terms of the zero or 100% from before, what your body can release right now is about a five."

"Fiver percent of power?!" Izuku jolts, her jade eyes practically bulging from her head. She then falls slightly, looming a bit as she lowers her head. "Hearing that, I really feel like I've been blessed with friends and luck."

 _There she goes again._ All Might scratches his head before chopping at his protégé's lowered head. Instantly, Izuku jumps, screeching out an "Ouch!" having bit her tongue.

"You should just say, _'I'll do my best, damn it,'_ you princess of nonsense!" All Might takes this opportunity to lecture the girl. "Is the image of the hero you're trying to be that flimsy?" Steam begins flowing around All Might, gathering around him as he inflates. "Listen, it's at times when you're scared or worried that you should just go out and smile!" All Might flashes his pearly whites.

The familiar bright smile gives Izuku a warm sensation which dampens all the pessimism within her.

"You've made it this far." All Might holds up a thumb. "It's fine if it's a bluff!" All Might puffs his chest. "Stand proud!"

Izuku's lips tug up into a smile as her jade orbs brighten.

"Don't forget that I've got high hopes for you!" All Might declares.

Izuku nods, confidence blooming within her. _Yeah… I am the one All Might has his hopes in!_ The green-haired girl twirls around to face the entrance to the stadium. It was as if she were looking at a bright light shining into the darkness that is the tunnel. Cheers roar from beyond the glowing portal.

Flames burst from the torches marking the corners of the cement-made battlefield.

"Audience!" Present Mic begins, "The finals that you've all been waiting for are finally starting! Match number one—"

"Even though she's done so well, what's with that face?" Izuku walks out from the entrance at hearing her entrance call. Even with the pep talk from All Might, the moment she stepped out from the darkness of the tunnel, she cannot help but tense. Like All Might had advised, she tries to smile but all that comes out is an awkward smile with her lips twitching. "Midoriya Izuku!"

"Versus—" Present Mic announces.

"Sorry, he hasn't done anything to stand out yet!" On the opposite side of the arena, Shinsou enters the field with a calm poker face of no emotion. "From general studies, it's Hitoshi Shinso!"

"The rules are simple." Present Mic explains with enthusiasm, "Force your opponent out of bounds, or immobilize them! You can also win by making your opponent say, _'I give up!'_ "

Both contestants walk onto the cement-made stage as Present Mic continues. "Bring on the injuries!" Izuku cracks her knuckles to loosen them for the upcoming fight; her emerald orbs reflect the flames from the torches as they glow in determination. "Pur your morals and ethics aside for a moment!" Shinsou rubs the back of his neck as he watches his green-haired opponent. "But, of course, anything life threatening is crap! It's not allowed!" Cementoss creates his set by the battlefield as Mic shouts, "Heroes should only use their fists to catch villains!"

"I'll stop things if they go too far." Cementoss raises.

Izuku exhales a breath to calm her nerves. " _'I give up,'_ huh?" Shinsou's low voice pulls the green-haired girl's attention to him. "This is a fight to test the strength of your spirit. If you know what you want for your future, then you can't worry about appearances."

"Ready?!" Present Mic prompts.

Shinsou scowls as his words become louder. "That monkey was going on about his pride…"

"Start!"

"…but don't you think he was dumb for throwing away his chance?" Shinsou prompts.

Izuku's breath hitches. _What…?_ Almost immediately she bites, gritting her teeth as her eyebrows furrow in anger. She couldn't stand it—for the person who had hurt her classmate's pride so much that he would withdraw; who had used her friend for his own benefit, to say those words. Her body moves without thinking.

Izuku starts with stomping before full-on dashing towards her opponent, fuming. "What did you say?!"

All of a sudden, white flashes in Izuku's head and her mind goes blank in an instant.

Shinsou smirks as he watches the girl freeze up, her expression blank. _I win._

From the stands, Ojiro abruptly jumps out of his seat. "Aggh! I went through the trouble of warning her, too!"

At the sight of his protégé freezing on stage, All Might also jolts in shock.

Present Mic questions the action too. "Hey, hey, what's the matter? It's the important first match! Liven things up!"

"Deku-chan," Uraraka gasps out as both she and Iida gradually rise out of their seats to get a better look at their green-haired friend.

"What in the world is going on?" questions Iida.

"Midoriya! The match just started…" Present Mic announces, "…and she is completely frozen?!"

Midoriya Izuku stands there—in the middle of the arena. Her eyes are wide and blank with her lips parted slightly. Her body is frozen, and her mind is foggy. She can still see, but her vision is becoming more and more misted over by the second. She can still hear, but it was as if she were hearing static—muffles more than actual words as there is a constant ringing in her ears.

"She's got a blank look on her face and isn't moving a muscle!" Present Mic exclaims, "Could this be Shinsou's Quirk?! He didn't stand out _at all,_ but could he actually be someone amazing?" He continues to announce, "Shinsou Hitoshi from general studies has gotten the better of Midoriya Izuku from the hero course!"

"Who would've imagined this?!" Present Mic shouts dramatically, "Will the bottom really overthrow the top?"

"That's why I said the entrance exam wasn't rational." Aizawa deadpans.

"Huh?" Present Mic turns to his partner. "What?"

"Here's some basic data on the two of them," Aizawa comments, holding two pieces of paper: one with his student's data and the other with her opponent's. "Since it's individual matches from here on out, I had someone compile it for me. Shinsou failed the practical exam for the hero course. Since he also applied for general studies, he probably knew that would happen." The mummy man analyzes, "His Quirk is very powerful, but the practical exam consisted of fighting faux villains. That gave an advantage to those with physical attack Quirks." He concludes, "Shinsou wouldn't have been able to rack up any points with his Quirk."

Back on the battlefield, Izuku is stuck in her hazy world. Despite the constant buzzing and ringing in her ears—she can still hear it, clearly—Shinsou's voice.

"You're lucky that you've been blessed, Midoriya Izuku." Shinsou's low voice enters Izuku's ears like a splash a cool water on a hot day. It was almost purifying how his voice was so clear with the fogginess of her senses. However, despite the sensation is brought, Izuku did not enjoy those words at all. "Turn around and walk out of bounds." He orders.

Almost instantly, Izuku complies. The green-haired girl turns around and begins walking straight for the boundaries of the field, her facial expression blank.

"Huh?" A shocked Present Mic voices his surprise before screeching, "What?! Midoriya's being so obedient!"

Back up in the stands with class A, Izuku's friends and classmates all stare at the girl in astonishment and concern as they watch her slow agonizing walk towards the boundary.

"Deku-chan, why?" Uraraka questions.

Iida can't stop his arms from waving, cutting the air dramatically. "If you go out of bounds, then you'll lose the match!"

Katsuki's crimson eyes focus on the obedient green-haired girl for a moment before narrowing at her purple-haired opponent. _That was the fucker from_ _ **that**_ _time._

 _"_ _There are quite a few people who enrolled in general studies or other courses because they didn't make it into the hero course. Did you know that?"_

 _"_ _The school has left those of us a chance. Depending on the results of the sports festival, they'll consider our transfer into the hero course."_

 _"_ _I, at least, came to say that even if you're in the hero course, if you get too carried away, I'll sweep your feet out from under you. I came with a declaration of war."_

Katsuki's scarlet rubies narrow into a calm and collected glare as he watches the purple-haired boy, analyzing him for a moment. His eyes then divert to Izuku—the idiotic girl who had let her opponent draw her right into his trap. His brows furrow in irritation.

Meanwhile, All Might has now crawled to the wall by the entrance to the arena, his hands gripping the wall as he tensely watches his student. _That Quirk is…_

Present Mic continues to shout in his mic as Aizawa tunes out the other hero, looking down at the papers in his cast. He particularly focuses on Shinsou's data, having known Midoriya's data already. _In the fitness test on the first day of school, Midoriya scored pretty low for the hero course, but even in tests where she didn't use her Quirk, she did better than Shinsou._

 _So, if they were to fight normally, then Midoriya would win._

Aizawa sighs as he lowers the papers and looks at the battlefield, watching as his student approaches the boundary. _If she can just overcome Shinsou's Brainwashing…_

 _Well, either way, this will end quickly._

Izuku continues to gradually stride forward on her agonizing walk towards the battlefield boundary.

 _Stop!_

Izuku could hear her footsteps, louder than her own heartbeat with every agonizing step.

 _No! My body's moving on its own…!_

Izuku's senses are hazy. The world around her was darker than it would be usually and it was as if she was seeing static with how much mist was around her.

 _It's like… my head is filled with fog…!_

 _No!_ Izuku can see the boundary line approaching her, coming closer and closer. _Damn it! Stop!_

 _Stop!_

Her vision is becoming darker and darker as she goes.

 _Even though…_

 _Even though Ojiro-kun had warned me…_

 _Crap!_

 _Damn it!_

 _"_ _A Quirk that can control people, huh?" Izuku gulps as she revels in the information. "Isn't that too strong to beat?"_

 _"_ _Yeah, but you can probably avoid it if you know about it." Ojiro affirms, "I don't remember much after I answered his question. I think that's how it works."_

 _Izuku pales as she sits her chin on her folded hands, leaning against them. "So, if I answer without thinking, then I'll lose right away."_

 _"_ _No, but it's not completely impenetrable," Ojiro reveals._

 _Izuku gasps._

 _"_ _I said I barely remembered anything until almost the end, right?" Ojiro elaborates. "When we were running away after Shinsou stole Tetsutetsu's headband, It looks like I ran into one of the horses on Team Tetsutetsu. That's when I snapped out of it." Ojiro confirms, "I remember what happened clearly after that."_

 _"_ _So, receiving a shock can get rid of it?" Izuku questions._

 _"_ _It's very likely." Ojiro nods as Izuku looks down at the table in contemplation. "Even so, I don't know what level of shock you need, and in a one-on-one match, you can't count on outside forces like that."_

 _The blonde boy stands up, "Anyways, that's about all I can tell you."_

 _"_ _Thanks!" Izuku stands up, "That was amazing!"_

 _"_ _I'm going to say something selfish…" Ojiro looks down at his fist before holding it out to his classmate. "…but please do your best for me, too."_

 _"_ _Ojiro-kun…" Izuku stares at the boy for a moment before giving him an assuring smile._

Izuku takes another step, the sound echoing in her head.

 _Damn it…!_

Izuku remembers the fist bump she shares with her classmate.

 _This…_

She sees the smile on Ojiro's face as he passes on his support to her.

 _…_ _quickly!_

 _Even though… everyone is counting on me!_

Izuku can see the head of her shadow as it nears the white boundary line.

 _In a place like this…_

 _Like this…!_

It was in that moment that Izuku saw the lights—the eight twinkling lights within the black door ahead. They glow brighter and brighter before extending into jagged rainbows of electricity—and, then, she sees _them_. There are several people behind the dark door, each with glowing neon yellow eyes and shadow-like bodies.

Then, she feels _it._

 _What… is… this?!_

The familiar feeling of One For All courses through her body like a large rush as it spreads throughout her whole body. On instinct, Izuku pushes the power to her left hand—to her index and middle fingers.

 _Move…_

With every bit of consciousness left inside of her, Izuku twitches her finger as the glistening bright red signs of her power causes her fingers to glow.

 _Move…!_

"You probably don't understand, but even with a Quirk like this, I have my own dream." She hears Shinsou mutter from behind her—loud and clear.

 _Move!_

"Now, lose for me."

Just as Izuku is about to step on the boundary line, she manages to push her fingers downwards, sending One For All's power to the ground. The impact causes a huge whirlwind to pick up from the force of the tap as Izuku steps down on the ground right before the boundary line. The shockwave kicks Izuku out of her brainwashed state, letting the girl hyperventilate as she tries to catch her breath.

"Th-This is…!" Present Mic stutters out in astonishment before he screams. "Midoriya has stopped!"

The audience goes wild with cheers, roaring loudly at the display.

Amongst the screams, Iida raises his arms in the air and shouts. "Midoriya-kun!"

Uraraka releases the breath she had been holding with a small sigh. "I'm… I'm so glad!"

Ojiro falls back into his seat with a exhale. "That's crazy…"

Meanwhile, Aizawa's breath hitches as he catches the cause of the whole turnaround. _Her fingers are…_

 _Did she remove the brainwashing by making them explode?_

Izuku pants for a few more seconds before turning her torso and head to leer at Shinsou with her dilated emeralds. Her peridot orbs were glowing wildly.

Shinsou panics for a moment and, startled, he unconsciously takes a step back. "Why?" Shinsou grits his teeth and clenches his fists in frustration and confusion before shouting. "You shouldn't be able to move freely! What did you do?!"

Instinctually, Izuku is about to answer the boy; however, quickly realizing the mistake, she covers her mouth with her hand to stop herself. Despite how things looked, inside her mind she was also panicking a bit, confused unnerved by what had just happened.

 _I'm the one who discharged my fingers. But I wasn't the one who moved them._

 _What happened?_

Izuku could still briefly recall the darkness and the glowing eyes beyond the door.

 _People I didn't know came to mind, and for a second, my mind was clear!_

 _That was…_

 _"_ _One For All."_ All Might's words echo in her head. _"Passed on to me like a sacred torch."_

Izuku blinks as the lightbulb flashes in her mind.

 _The people…_

 _The presence of the people who spun together this power…_

Izuku's emerald eyes move to glance at her broken fingers which continue to shake.

 _Did they save me? Is that even possible?_

"What did you do?!" Shinsou's shout snaps Izuku from her thoughts.

Izuku clenches her teeth tighter as she moves her hand from her mouth to her broken hand. _Even if I think about it now, I won't find the answer._ Izuku shakes her head, trying to rid herself from the distractions to refocus on the task at hand. _Later… Thinking can come later!_

Izuku fully turns towards Shinsou, her right hand gripping the wrist of her left as leverage for her broken fingers. Her emerald eyes pierce into Shinsou's purple ones with great intensity and determination.

Meanwhile, Shinsou furrows his brows at the girl. _She won't answer… Did she figure out my secret?_

 _No, she should've heard from that monkey from the beginning._

Shinsou grits his teeth. _All I can do is make her talk again…_ Shinsou allows his tense shoulders to relax slightly as a familiar smirk rides up his lips. "Say something." He taunts.

Izuku clenches her teeth more as she squishes her lips together and watches the purple-haired boy cautiously.

Seeing the girl's lack of response, Shinsou decides to continue. "You can produce that much power just by moving your fingers? I'm jealous."

 _I felt the same way in the past._ Izuku grits her teeth as she begins dashing towards her purple-haired opponent.

"Thanks to my Quirk, I've been behind from the start." Shinsou shouts, "Someone who's been blessed like you can't understand, can you?"

Izuku squints her eyes as she grimaces in her sprint. _I_ _ **do**_ _understand._

 _But, it's true… I've been blessed._

"Someone like you who was born with the idea Quirk!" Shinsou screams, "Someone who can reach your goal!"

Squeezing her eyes shut, Izuku speeds up. _I've been blessed by others!_ She pushes her left arm onto Shinsou's chest as she grabs his left shoulder with her right hand.

 _That's why!_

With all her strength, Izuku begins pushing the tall purple-haired boy towards the boundary. Frustrated and irritated, Shinsou pulls his right arm up and punches Izuku's left cheek. "Say something already!"

However, Izuku does not falter from the punch. Blood drips down her nose from the impact as she turns to glare at Shinsou with her determined emerald eyes. _I can't…_

Shinsou's breath hitches at the green-haired girl's clear will written on her face.

 _…_ _lose, either!_

Izuku forces herself forward, pushing Shinsou as she goes.

Shinsou quickly turns to look behind him, catching sight of the impending border. _Is she trying to push me out?_

Shinsou narrows his eyes as he punches the girl's broken hand, aiming for her injury. The rush of pain in her hand causes Izuku to grunt and stop pushing, shutting her eyes in pain. Shinsou takes this moment to grab Izuku's right arm and throws her away from him. "You've got to be kidding!"

Just as Izuku turns her head to face the purple-haired boy, Shinsou charges at her, grabbing her face with his right hand and placing his other hand on her shoulder as he pushes. " _You_ get out!" He screams.

Izuku, unwilling to give in now, uses her right hand to grab Shinsou's collar and her left hand to grab his arm. At the lightning pain in her broken fingers, as she grabs Shinsou's arm, Izuku moans out in pain. Despite this, the girl flows with the motions, using her foot as a pivot, she swings Shinsou over her shoulder.

 _I can't lose…!_

Katsuki's crimson orbs widen as he realizes what Izuku is about to do—instantly recognizing the move.

Izuku throws Shinsou onto his back, landing him beyond the borderline. From the sudden impact, Shinsou's mouth opens and he releases a groan of pain. Izuku's jade eyes are dilated as she hears her beating heart against her chest at that moment loudly pumping. The adrenaline slowly wearing off.

Midnight raises her hand as she announces, "Shinsou-kun is out of bounds! Midoriya-san advances to round two!"

Izuku exhales a heavy breath.

"In the finals, the first person to advance to the second round is Midoriya Izuku from Class A!" Present Mic announces. In response, the crowd roars with cheers.

Uraraka exhales a breath of relief as she slumps into her seat, the tension she had from watching the battle being released. "I was so nervous!"

"Turning the tables at the last moment!" Iida praises his green-haired friend with a small smile. "As expected of Midoriya-kun!"

Kaminari turns to Katsuki, who is in the seat next to him. "She did that shoulder toss on you before, too, didn't she?" Kaminari asks as he does a motion to represent the shoulder toss.

"Shut up, Dunce Face." Without batting an eye, Katsuki retorts. Rather than the blonde next to him, his whole entire attention is focused on Izuku. The green-haired girl is still standing on stage, panting with blood smeared below her nose. _That damn…_

 _She was definitely aiming for it!_

Katsuki's crimson eyes narrow as he grits his teeth. _She led him right into it!_

Meanwhile, Kaminari stares at the battleground with a distraught expression after being insulted by Bakugo.

 _Using her power on part of her body like at the fitness test and the throw from the combat training… Rather than calling it the best use of her experience, it's like she's using any experience she can to force the flow to change in her favor._ Aizawa analyzes from his spot in the commentators' box.

"Yahoo!" Beside the mummy man, Present Mic continues with his announcements. "That was kind of a boring first match, but we should praise them both for a bravely fought match." As Mic is talking, the two combatants take the moment to bow to each other in good sportsmanship and respect. "Clap your hands!"

The applause fades in Izuku's ears as she squints her jade eyes and frowns.

 _"_ _Someone who's been blessed like you can't understand, can you?"_

Izuku tilts her head up to look at Shinsou, catching his distraught expression.

 _"_ _Someone who can reach your goal!"_

"Shinsou-kun," Izuku's mouth moves before she can really ponder over her words. "Why do you want to be a hero?"

Shinsou glances at the girl, violets meeting emeralds for a mere moment. He turns away from her honest gaze as he answers with a mere mutter. "You can't help the things you long for." Shinsou turns away entirely from the green-haired girl, walking away from the battlefield.

Izuku's breath hitches and her peridot eyes widen as the thought come to her mind.

 _We're the same._

 _I felt the same way before I inherited One For All._

Izuku watches Shinsou's receding back as he saunters off stage.

 _But…_

The distance between the two combatants grows as Shinsou continues, leaving Izuku back up on top of the stage as he climbs down the staircase.

 _No matter what I say right now…_

Shinsou watches with lowered violet eyes as the ground beneath his feet transitions from cement grey to the fake grass green as he heads towards the arena's exit. However, a certain shout causes the purple-haired boy to stop.

"You were really cool, Shinsou!"

Shinsou's breath hitches as he stops mid-step to look up at the audience, finding his classmates all gathered by the ledge.

"Good job!" A girl from his class waves her hand towards him.

"I was really surprised!" A boy from his class exclaims.

"You're the star of the general studies!" Another boy praises.

"You put up a great fight against the guy who placed first in the obstacle course!" Another grins.

Shinsou blinks, a flurry of emotions dwelling inside him swirl.

"Besides—" A boy from his class points behind him, drawing Shinsou's attention to the pro heroes in the stands.

"That Quirk would work quite well against villains. I wish I had it."

"U.A.'s not very smart if he's in general studies."

"Well, they've got a ton of people applying so some things just can't be helped."

"It was the difference in combat experience, huh?"

"Yeah, it ends up making a big difference."

"What a waste."

His classmates turn back to Shinsou giving him large smiles. "You hear that Shinsou?"

"You're amazing!"

The sun beams down from the bright blue sky on Shinsou, illuminating the day before him. Shinsou keeps his head raised as he inhales and exhales a breath. "Depending on the results, they'll consider our transfer into the hero course." He comments. "Remember that."

Izuku stares at Shinsou, sensing the change within the boy.

"Even if it didn't work this time, I definitely won't give up." Shinsou declares, "I'll get into the hero course, get certified, and I'll definitely become a better hero than you guys!"

Izuku closes her parted lips before they stretch into a smile. "Yeah!"

Izuku freezes in place, the fog once again returning. _Huh? He got me!_

 _Even though the match is over, what is her…?_

Shinsou chuckles, sensing that he had actually brainwashed the girl. _This girl…_ A small smile spreads. "People are usually wary when they talk to me, though…" Shinsou turns to glance at the green-haired girl. "At this rate, someone will trip you up in no time. At least…" He lets go of the girl's mind.

Izuku gasps as she snaps awake again.

Shinsou warns Izuku with a small smirk. "… don't lose in an unseemly way."

 _Shinsou-kun…_ Izuku stares at the boy with her large emerald eyes. "I won't!"

Izuku's breath hitches when she is once again brainwashed. Shinsou's shoulders drop as he arches an eyebrow at his earlier opponent, giving Izuku an exasperated expression. _This girl…_

After a few seconds, Shinsou sighs, scratching the back of his head as he releases the girl once again.

 _…_ _what an idiot._

After the match with Shinsou, Izuku heads to Recovery Girl's temporary infirmary in order to treat her broken fingers. After a kiss, Recovery Girl bandages Izuku's fingers and palm. "That should do it."

Izuku sat across from Recovery Girl with All Might leaning and slightly sitting on the old woman's desk. Izuku looks down at her bandaged hand, distraught. "In the match with Shinsou, I couldn't smile at all."

All Might rubs the back of his neck as he hums. "Well, his cries hit close to home for you, huh?"

"But, that didn't mean that I could lose." Izuku states before looking up at her mentor. "That's what it means to aim for number one, right?"

Recovery Girl sighs, slumping back in her seat. "Poor thing." She then turns to scold the man next to her, "You put some weird pressure on her again, didn't you?" Recover Girl clenches her fist before slamming a punch into All Might's non-damaged side.

All Might groans at the impact before hastily fumbling, rubbing the spot that was hit while denying Recovery Girl's claims. "It was necessary! Ouch!"

"Oh yeah, All Might," Izuku interjects. "I had a vision…"

All Might looks up at the girl. "Huh?"

Izuku's emerald eyes squint as she puzzles. "There were eight or nine people… I'm not sure exactly how many…" She elaborates, "But when it felt like my mind was filled with fog from the brainwashing, the vision appeared as if to drive away the fog. It was like I was barely able to move just my fingertips for a moment… There was someone with eyes like you, too, All Might." Izuku inquires, "Was it… the people who had inherited One For All who did it?"

Izuku glances up at All Might—only to find the lanky man shaking with a pale face. "Scary… what the heck?"

"What?" Izuku's eyes dilate and are bulging from shock as he retorts. "I thought you'd know about it!"

"No, I also saw it before, in my younger days." All Might explains. Izuku gasps as she focuses on the blonde man. "It's a clear sign that you've got a better grasp on One For All."

"What does that mean?" Izuku questions.

"I think it's like a trace of something they left behind in One For All." All Might hypothesizes. "It's not something with intent that can interfere with you. In other words, the vision isn't what got rid of the brainwashing. It was that when you saw the vision, your strong emotions allowed you to overcome Young Shinsou's Brainwashing for just long enough to move your fingertips, I think."

Izuku stares at All Might for a silent second before sighing and scratching the back of her head. "That explanations not satisfying at all, though…"

"Don't get too hung up about it!" All Might retorts, pointing at the girl. As if a thought came to mind, All Might's breath hitches. "More importantly, don't you need to go see who you'll fight next?"

This diverts Izuku's attention, immediately, as the green-haired girl realizes that at this rate she would be late to see Sero and Todoroki's match. She quickly gathers herself before leaving. "Thank you both very much!"

"Welcome," Recovery Girl replies.

"If you'll excuse me!" Izuku politely bows before closing the door behind her and rushing to the audience stands.

"You were there, too, she said." Recovery Girl comments as she and All Might listen to Izuku's receding footsteps.

All Might is silent for a moment as his cyan eyes narrow. "That's a good thing."

Todoroki exits his waiting room once Midoriya's match had ended. He had been watching on the screen in the waiting room as the match commenced and ended with his classmate being the victor. _Midoriya won, huh…_

Todoroki turns the corner, heading towards the arena for his match, only to stop. His cold gray and turquoise eyes narrow into a glare. "You're in the way." He growls to the old man leaning against the wall.

Endeavor stares at his son, the flames of his hero costume flowing. "You are acting disgracefully, Shouto." Todoroki ignores his father as he continues his stride, having to pass the old man by in order to reach the arena. "If you used the power in your left side, you would have had an overwhelming victory in the obstacle course and the cavalry battle."

"Stop this childish rebellion already." Endeavor lectures his son who makes it a point to ignore him. "You have a duty to surpass All Might."

Todoroki grits his teeth, seething in rage.

"Do you understand?" prompts Endeavor. "You're different from your siblings. You are the greatest masterpiece!"

 _You… bastard…!_ Todoroki seethes as the snarl comes out before he can get a hold of it. "Is that all you can say, bastard?" The half-red, half-white-haired boy grits as he declares. "I will win and advance with just Mom's power. I won't use your power when I fight."

Endeavor averts his turquoise eyes from his son as he continues. "Even if that works now, you'll soon reach the limits of that power."

Todoroki's mismatched gray and turquoise eyes dilate as a cold rage flares through them. He clenches his teeth in a scowl as he approaches the light of the exit.

Meanwhile, Izuku walks across the stands as she searches for the section of the seats that are designated for Class 1-A. Her head is turned towards the seats as he glances for any signs of her friends and classmates.

The call from Uraraka causes the green-haired girl to stop. "Oh, Deku-chan!" Izuku releases a small noise as she sees Uraraka and Iida in their seats at the front of the section, with Uraraka waving her hand at her. "Good work!" the brunette sings.

Joining the brunette's style, Iida also adds with a sing-song voice as he points to the seat next to him. "We saved a seat for you!"

"Thanks!" Izuku smiles, happy to see her friends. However, her attention focuses on Ojiro who pumps his fist in the air slightly with a smile. Izuku smiles in return before nodding to the boy.

Flames burst from the torches around the stage once again as Present Mic shouts. "Thanks for waiting! Next up is… these guys!"

"He's good! He's good, but what's with that plainness he just can't get rid of?" Sero stretches his arms with a smile as his eyebrows furrow at his introduction. "From the hero course, it's Sero Hanta!"

"That's mean." Sero deadpans as he stretches his neck.

"Versus—"

"Taking second, then first in the prelims! You're way too strong, kid!" Todoroki stands still with clenched fists as he leers at the ground, hiding his face. "He wasn't recommended for admission for nothing! Also from the hero course, it's Todoroki Shouto!"

The crowd roars as Present Mic continues. "And now, for the second match of the finals—Ready…"

"Well, I don't feel like I can win…" Sero mumbles as he rolls his neck and stretches out his arms.

"Start!"

The moment the match begins, Sero charges at Todoroki, shooting his tape at his strong classmate and wrapping him up in an instant. Sero smirks, "…but I don't feel like losing, either!" He then proceeds to swing the restrained Todoroki towards the border.

"A surprise attack aimed to push his opponent out of bounds!" Present Mic announces, with a hype. All of the students in Class 1-A tense as they watch the unanimously known strongest be swung towards the edge, at the edge of their seats. "Don't you think that was the best choice for this situation?! Seriously, get him, Sero!"

Despite being swung, Todoroki does not falter. His eyes are wild—mad and crazy and **raging** just as they are bloodshot. "Sorry." He mutters out with a slight growl in his tone. From his right foot, the temperature drops drastically as he emits the cold ice and spreads it rapidly.

Sero's eyes widen as he sees the incoming ice rush at him—too slow to react to the extreme speed of the freezing.

It was over in an instant.

The whole stadium tremors as a great glacier sprouts from the battlefield, just nearly missing the front seats of the stands where Class 1-A was sitting in and popping out several hundred meters from the top of the whole coliseum. Everyone's eyes are dilated, practically bulging from their skulls at the sight of the huge ice sculpture.

Todoroki exhales an icy breath as he glares coldly at his opponent—though he wasn't exactly looking at Sero, at all. He shatters the ice around his left side.

"Don't…" Sero trembles within the ice, practically his whole body is frozen within the giant glacier. "Don't you think that's a bit much…?"

Midnight shakes, half frozen as well, as he questions the frozen combatant. "Sero-kun, can you move?"

"O-Of course not…" Sero manages to shiver out. The ice is so cold on his bare skin that he can't feel his arms or half his face. The only sensations he could note at the moment was the burning from the ice on his skin—as if it were on fire rather than frozen over—and the icy touch of his clothes. "Ow…"

"Sero-kun is immobilized!" Midnight announces, "Todoroki-kun advances to the second round!"

The whole audience is shocked to silence—unsure of how to react to the massive display of overwhelming power. It takes a certain hero to mutter out, "D-Don't worry about it…" and another hero besides him to shout, "Don't mind!" for the whole audience to join in.

Todoroki approaches his frozen classmate, snapping from his initial rage. "Sorry, I went overboard." Todoroki puts his left hand on Sero's chest, pushing out the heat in order to melt the ice he had created while averting his gaze. "I was angry."

That afternoon, the stadium echoes with "Don't mind" calls as a huge glacier looms over the stadium. Under the eyes of the crowd that started shouting "Don't mind" unprompted was Todoroki, melting what he had frozen himself with his left hand.

Izuku's emerald eyes narrow with a light of sadness within them.

 _Todoroki-kun… looks so sad…_

* * *

 **** **What do you think?**

 **There were some hints of ShinDeku XD**

 **You may have noticed I didn't add Shinsou's backstory to this chapter... you'll see why in the future XD**

 **Poor Sero with that 'Don't mind' call though! :d**

 **Anyways, please comment if you have any ideas.**

 **I hope you enjoyed the chapter.**


	21. Uraraka vs Bakugo

**Tah~dah! I did it! Here is the final part of the first round! XD**

 **Anyways, if you have ideas please comment.**

 **Now, I hope you enjoy the chapter!**

* * *

The matches proceeding after Sero's shocking annihilation from Todoroki were much less intense.

"Everybody, sorry for the long wait!" Present Mic screeches along with the roaring crowd. "The stage that was frozen in the second match is finally dry, so on to the next match!"

The flames burst from the torches at the corners of the stage as Shiozaki walks up the stairs. "The assassin from Class B! Pretty things have thorns, you know! From Hero course, Shiozaki Ibara!"

"Versus—"

"Sparking Killing Boy!" Kaminari walks up the stage from the opposite end with a lopsided grin. "From the Hero course, it's Kaminari Denki!"

"Now, now—we'll have a super flashy battle this time too—" Present Mic begins, only to be interrupted.

"Um…!" Shiozaki draws attention to herself, raising her hand slightly as she looks up at the commentators' box. "Please excuse the interruption. What do you mean by 'assassin'?" The girl with long, lush green vines with thorns on it for hair explains, "I have only come to find victory, not to take my opponent's life."

"I-I'm sorry!" Present Mic raises his hands in defense.

"In the first place, I wished to enter U.A. High School not for wicked reasons," Light sparkles down on Shiozaki, illuminating the girl as if she were a goddess. "But for the salvation of others…"

"I said, I'm sorry!" Present Mic interjects, feeling guilty. "My bad, okay?!"

Shiozaki giggles as she smiles. "I thank you for your understanding." She bows, politely.

Kaminari sweatdrops as he watches the whole exhibition, muttering. "Class B has people like this in it, too, huh?" He watches as Shiozaki twirls around and walks back to the battlefield. _She's got big eyes and a pretty face, but it looks like she's really strong._ Kaminari snaps his eyes shut as he steels his will. _I've gotta discharge all my electricity here, huh?_

Kaminari didn't like fighting girls, it always felt wrong to him—to attack a girl.

The blonde opens his eyes, staring at Shiozaki in her stride with his bright yellow eyes. _Actually, she's pretty, but she's also kinda cute…_ He can see pink sparkles surrounding Shiozaki. _I've gotta ask her out sometime, huh?_

 _All right…!_ Kaminari narrows his golden eyes in determination.

"A-Anyway, start!" Present Mic fumbles.

"When this is over, wanna grab a bite to eat?" Kaminari begins, flirting with the thorn-haired girl. "I'll comfort you if you'll have me."

"Eh?" Shiozaki's dark green eyes widen a bit as she questions the boy's words.

"'Cause this match will probably be over in a second!" Kaminari smirks as he exerts the electricity within his body, causing his long blonde locks to float. "Indiscriminate Shock…" Kaminari shouts as he slams his hands towards the ground. "1.3 Million Volts!" He sends a huge wave of electricity towards Shiozaki, however, the girl only twirls around.

With her back to Kaminari, her vine-like hair grows into a large shield and plops off, planting itself into the ground to block Kaminari's electricity. The boy gasps in shock as Shiozaki digs her hair into the ground and the vines pop out from the cement below him, grabbing hold of him. Kaminari swings in the air with his idiotic derp face as he is held up by Shiozaki's thorns.

"It was decided in an instant! I'll say it once more!" Present Mic announces, "An instant!"

Midnight snaps her whip in Shiozaki's direction. "Shiozaki-san advances to the second round!"

The crowd roars as Shiozaki smiles softly with her hands together as if she were praying. "Oh, I was able to make the most of the opportunity I was given."

From the stands, Tetsutetsu cheers. "All right! Good job, Shiozaki!"

Jirou scratches her head as she looks at Kaminari hanging in the air like the idiot he is. "Man…"

"What's that?" A rather twisted voice draws the attention of the Class 1-A students to Monoma who is desperately climbing to leer down at them from Class 1-B's side of the stand. "Didn't he say that he would settle this in a second? That's strange, he was _defeated_ in a second, wasn't he?" Monoma mocks, "Class A is supposed to be better than Class B, so isn't that weird?"

Monoma breaks out laughing, madly, before Kendo comes in and knocks him out with a chop to his neck. The orange-haired girl catches the twisted boy as he falls with her hand before tiptoeing to give Class A an apologetic smile. "Sorry."

The students of Class A sweatdrop. **_What was that just now?_**

Uraraka holds a frown on her face, her lips tightly stretched as her chocolate orbs focus on the stage below her. She was to fight there as well and, despite her usual happy-go-luckiness, Ochako couldn't help but feel tense and nervous. However, the girl is snapped out of her tenseness at the sound of muttering beside her.

"Kaminari-kun's Quirk is supposed to be strong," Uraraka pales as she catches Izuku muttering with her nose practically buried in her notebook as she swiftly writes notes. "But Shiozaki-san is a strong opponent who placed fourth in the entrance exam." On the other side of Izuku, Both Kirishima and Tokoyami pale and sweatdrop at the girl's rambling as they stare at her with dilated eyes. "Vines, huh? I wonder if it's like Kamui Woods' Quirk." The muttering gets faster and faster as the students around Izuku becoming quieter and quieter, all paling at the girl. The rambling reaches Bakugo who is sitting a row behind Izuku, irritating her ash blonde childhood friend. "Binding types really are strong. I hardly ever see anyone break out. It'd be impossible to get close while avoiding all those vines, so you'd either have to tear them off or get through with brute force… Ahh—but in order to keep you from doing that, she'd go after your hands first… Um…"

"You just finished, but you're already thinking about countermeasures, huh?" Uraraka interrupts Izuku's thought, snapping the girl from her daze.

Izuku hastily covers her mouth, her cheeks flushing with embarrassment as she realizes that she was muttering once again. "Oh, no! It's just, I mean, this is pretty much my hobby…" Izuku turns away looking at her notebook with a small smile as she elaborates. "It's not every day I get a chance to see amazing Quirks outside of those in our class…"

Uraraka smiles at her green-haired friend. Izuku was becoming more and more open to her classmates with every day they all spent together. The originally timid girl was much more open about her thoughts and opinions and often lets her muttering habit slip, though it still surprises and, at times, irks her classmates.

A light bulb flashes in Izuku's mind causing the girl to smile as she flips through her notebook. "Oh, right! I've been putting these together for everyone in Class A, too." She excitedly turns to Uraraka while showing off her section with notes on the brunette. "For your Zero Gravity, too!"

Uraraka's eyes dilate and widen in astonishment at the sight of Izuku's notebook and the drawing of her hero costume on it. She smiles awkwardly as she sweatdrops. "Deku-chan, you've been amazing since I met you, but the sports festival is making me think that you're amazing all over again." Uraraka turns away from her friend as Izuku blinks in surprise at the comment, unsure of how to take it.

"Now, it's time for the fourth match!" Present Mic announces. Izuku quickly turns and readies her notebook to take more notes as she focuses on the field. Uraraka stretches her lips as she watches the field with determined brown eyes. "We're just gonna keep rolling along! Rush headlong toward the top!"

The crowd roars.

"It's like he's the epitome of the middle of the pack!" Iida stands tall and straight with a serious expression under his glasses. "From the hero course, it's Iida Tenya!"

"Versus—"

"Fully-equipped with support items!" Hatsume grins as she stares at the boy across from her. "From the support course, it's Hatsume Mei!"

From Class A's place in the stands, Jirou comments. "He's up against the support course, huh?"

"I wonder what kind of fight it'll be?" Asui ponders.

"I mean," Satou questions, bewildered. "What _is_ that?" They watch as Iida puts on an equipment, buckling the belt of the vest. "Iida's fully equipped with support items too?!"

Midnight steps in, "That's generally against the rules for those in the hero course. Those who must use equipment needed to petition beforehand."

Iida gasps, realizing he had forgotten there was such a rule. "I forgot about that! Aoyama-kun also wore a belt so I thought it was fine!"

"He submitted a petition." Midnight explains.

Iida gives the umpire a rigid bow. "I humbly apologize!" The earnest boy explains, "However, my heart was moved by my opponent's sportsmanship. Even though she is from the support course, she said she wanted an even match since she made it this far. She said she wanted to fight fairly. So, she gave me this equipment!" Iida clenches his fist before he declares. "I did not think I could ignore her fighting spirit!"

Midnight snorts with a blush on her cheeks. "Oh, youth!" She squeals in joy before pulling out her poker face. "I'll allow it!"

Izuku blinks her eyes after hearing Iida's story, confused. _Is Hatsume-san someone who'd say that?_ Her emerald eyes widen as a thought passes through her mind. _Could it be…?_

Hatsume smirks as she adjusts the microphone near her head and giggles.

"Well, since permission has been granted, let's start the fourth match!"

The following match was like a game of cat-and-mouse, with Iida being the cat and Hatsume being the mouse. At the moment the match was called to start, Iida dashed forward, quickly approaching Hatsume who only smirks before she begins her sales pitch. It continues like so for a long while as Hatsume sets off several of her inventions over and over again. She keeps Iida at a distance while letting him come towards her, using all the inventions she can—in order to show them off.

Izuku was right. Hatsume was not someone who would talk about sportsmanship. The pink-haired support course student was very resourceful—looking for gain rather than anything else—and Iida and his earnestly was the perfect target for her sales pitch.

For about 15 minutes, Hatsume continues to exhibit her inventions, trying to draw the attention from the big support companies and convince them to invest in her. It was only once she had shown off every last of her inventions that Hatsume walks off stage, satisfied. "I have nothing left to say." Hatsume wipes the sweat off her face.

"H-Hatsume-san is out of bounds." Midnight announces, "Iida-kun moves on to the second round!"

Despite the good news, Iida is in too much shock as he screams out, depressed and frustrated. "You tricked me…!"

Hatsume slowly turns away, deadpanning. "I'm sorry. I used you."

"I hate you!" Comically, Iida waves his hand as he retorts.

Meanwhile, Izuku trembles as she pales. "Iida-kun is earnest, so she probably said some things that sounded good to get him on board." She instantly switches to take notes, not noticing as Uraraka rises out of her seat and leaves the stand. "Hatsume-san is not just honest, she will also use any means to reach her goal. Amazing…"

Uraraka leaves her iced tea on her seat, allowing the cold drink to dampen the cushion.

"We're gonna keep right on going with the fifth match!" Present Mic moves on.

"Even though he's wearing a belt, he won't transform!" Aoyama poses, "From the Hero Course, it's Aoyama Yuuga."

"Bonjour." Aoyama winks at the crowd as he sparkles.

"Versus—"

"Is something going to come out of those horns?! Well?" Ashido smiles confidently as she stretches her shoulders. "From the hero course, it's Ashido Mina!"

Ashido snickers as she points at Aoyama, "My first match is a piece of cake!"

"I'll return those words right back at you." Aoyama obnoxiously retorts, sparkling.

From the stands, the girls of class A cheer for their fellow girl. "Mina-chan, you can do it!" Asui cheers.

Behind Asui and Jirou, Mineta shouts. "Aoyama, get her!" This causes the two girls to turn to the short boy as he screams. "Beat her like in those fighting games where their clothes get ripped off!"

"What are you, scum?" Jirou spits out with disgust.

"A match between Aoyama and Ashido," Izuku mutters as she flips through her notebook. "Considering their Quirks…" she analyzes, "Aoyama-kun will probably attack from a distance with his laser. So the match will be decided by how well Ashido-san can slip through Aoyama-kun's attacks and turn it into a close combat match. But there's nothing to use as cover on the stage, so Ashido-san might be at a slight disadvantage." Izuku raises her emerald eyes to focus on the upcoming battle.

"Now, why don't we get moving?" Present Mic prompts, "Fifth match, start!"

"The early bird gets the worm!" Aoyama exclaims as his belt shines a bright sparkly blue before a laser shoots out from it. Despite the quick speed of the laser, Ashido manages to dodge the laser with ease.

Confidentially throughout the match, Ashido manages to dodge Aoyama's lasers, maneuvering around the battlefield as she awaits for Aoyama's side effect to react. Once Aoyama begins to slow down due to his tummy ache, Ashido smirks and rushes at the obnoxious blonde, throwing acid at his belt which causes it to melt along with the zipper of his pants, making his sweats fall.

"I'll finish it…" Ashido grins as she uppercuts Aoyama's face. "…with this!"

Aoyama falls to the ground, unconscious and paling.

"Aoyama has fainted!" Midnight announces, "Ashido-san advances to the second round!" The crowd cheers for the pink girl as she waves towards the audience.

"Aoyama is knocked out!" Present Mic comments, "Ashido's easy victory is indisputable!"

"Mina-chan is amazing!" Asui praises with a smile along with Jirou.

The sound of a thump draws their attention to Mineta, behind them who punches his knees, cursing. "If only Aoyama and Ashido's Quirks were switched…!"

"You're too much of a scumbag." Jirou deadpans.

The others sweatdrop as Mineta screeches through his teeth. In the meantime, Izuku is hastily writing her notes while muttering. "The match unfolded as I expected but I misjudged Ashido-san's physical strength. Even during the Quirk assessment test, she placed ninth out of everyone, including the boys. It wasn't because of her Quirk—she's got excellent physical abilities."

"Now, we've got no time to lose! Let's move on to the sixth match!" Present Mic announces.

"Offense and defense! The dark samurai accompanied by Dark Shadow!" Tokoyami stands silent and proud. "From the hero course, Tokoyami Fumikage!"

"Versus—"

"All-purpose Creation! She was admitted through recommendations, so her abilities are certified!" Yaoyorozu is tense as she holds her right arm and stares at her opponent with furrowed brows. "From the hero course, it's Yaoyorozu Momo!"

"Midoriya," Ojiro leans over to the row in front of him to ask the focused Midoriya. "What do you think of this match?"

"I think time will be the key," Izuku comments turning to Ojiro despite continuing to focus on the battlefield.

"Time?" Ojiro asks.

 _It's just as Present Mic-sensei says, I'm up against Tokoyami-san with Dark Shadow, offense and defense in one body._ Yaoyorozu focuses on her opponent, her nerves tingling. _In addition, Tokoyami-san can bring out Dark Shadow with no time lag, so there is no doubt he will start with a preemptive strike._ She grits her teeth. _If I create a simple shield that doesn't take much time and block Tokoyami-san's attack… If I give myself enough time to make a weapon—_

Yaoyorozu's contemplation is interrupted as Present Mic announces, "Sixth match, start!" She gasps in shock.

Tokoyami takes the first moment to swiftly draw out Dark Shadow. "Go, Dark Shadow!"

"Roger!" Dark Shadow leaves from Tokoyami's stomach, lunging forward at Yaoyorozu.

The ponytail girl grits her teeth as she bends her arm to hastily create a shield. _Quickly create a shield—_ She makes it just in time to block Dark Shadow's charge with a grunt. "Next a weapon—" Yaoyorozu extends her other hand as it begins to glow pink with blue sparkles. However, with consecutive attacks from Dark Shadow, Yaoyorozu is unable to concentrate on her creations as she desperately tries to block the force. _I can't collect my thoughts!_

Dark Shadow slaps her shield away, making Yaoyorozu recreate it—only to be slammed into once again, and pushed out of bounds. However, the ponytail girl does not realize she is out of bounds. _His attacks have stopped? Now!_ Yaoyorozu creates a pole.

Midnight interrupt though. "Yaoyorozu-san!"

Yaoyorozu turns to the umpire in shock.

"Out of bounds!" Midnight announces as she snaps her whip.

The ponytail girl's breath hitches and she hastily looks down at her feet, finding that it was true. One of her feet was outside the boundary line, unfortunately, meaning that she has lost the match.

"Tokoyami-kun advances to the second round!" Midnight announces.

As the crowd cheers, Tokoyami withdraws Dark Shadow and bows at his opponent, politely.

"An overwhelming victory!" Present Mic roars, "A completely overwhelming victory!" Yaoyorozu watches as Tokoyami leaves the arena with her lips parted and her mouth agape. "Tokoyami's Dark Shadow! Could it be the greatest Quirk ever?"

"No…" Yaoyorozu mutters out before she looks down at the ground in frustration. "I couldn't do anything… Nothing…"

In the stands, Izuku's eyes are wide as she mutters. "Tokoyami-kun is too amazing. I can't believe he forced her out of bounds just by focusing his attacks on the shield Yaoyorozu made."

"He was trying not to hurt her?" Ojiro questions. Izuku nods in response. Ojiro turns back to the stage and sighs. "That's how easy it was for him, huh?" He watches as Yaoyorozu leaves the stage with her head down. "She must feel really frustrated…"

Izuku turns away from Ojiro, looking down as well before her attention is caught by Uraraka's empty seat with her iced tea still on the cushion. The green-haired girl's peridot eyes blink at the iced tea before averting as she ponders on her friend. _Uraraka-san…_

"Okay, let's move on! Next up—" Present Mic begins, "The seventh match is a match-up between redundant Quirks!"

"Manly and passionate steel!" Tetsutetsu scowls as he glares at the redhead before him. "From the hero course, it's Tetsutetsu Tetsutetsu!"

"All right!" Tetsutetsu shouts.

"Versus—"

"Manly and passionate hardening!" Kirishima cracks his fingers with a grimace. "From the hero course, it's Kirishima Eijirou!"

Kirishima clenches his fist as tears brim his eyes and he cries out. "Even our intros are the same?!"

From Class B's side, Kendo cheers. "Go, Tetsutetsu! Win like Ibara did!"

Meanwhile, in Class A's side, Mineta is snoozing away—not paying attention to this match at all due to it being one between only boys. Jirou extends her earphone jack to pierce the impolite boy's head as she deadpans. "Get a hold of yourself."

Mineta screeches in response.

"Let's start this passionate seventh match!"

Covering himself from head-to-toe in steel, Tetsutetsu charges.

Hardening himself from head-to-toe, Kirishima charges.

Both boys roar as they lunge at one another with a powerful punch.

Iida walks to the second waiting room, still down about his match. As he opens the door and steps in the room, the bluenette is greeted by a familiar voice. "Good work, Iida-kun."

At the high-pitch of Uraraka's voice, Iida looks up. "Oh, Uraraka—" Uraraka's brown eyes are dilated and her brows are very furrowed with her large smile being more awkward, showing her clear nervousness. At the expression on Uraraka's face, Iida shouts, "—not! You're not like yourself at all! Your brows are all wrinkled!"

"My brow?" Uraraka questions, her tense expression not changing in the slightest. "O-oh!" Uraraka raises her hand to scratch the back of her head. "It's just my nerves… Must've reached my brow."

Iida closes the door behind him as he approaches his brunette friend. "I see… Your opponent is that Bakugo-kun, after all…"

Uraraka looks down at her hands on the table, leaning forward a bit. "Yeah, I'm really scared." She confesses before turning to give Iida a small smile. "But you know, after seeing a match like yours, Iida-kun…"

"Like mine?" Iida blinks, confused and curious.

"Yeah," Uraraka nods, her brown eyes avert for a moment before meeting Iida's clear, indigo orbs. Iida cannot help but note the distinct sparkle within those chocolate orbs. "An earnest and hard-fought match where you try to overcome the obstacle before you…"

 _Uraraka-kun…?_ Iida's lips part for him to reply, however, he is quickly interrupted by the sound of the door sliding open.

"Uraraka-san!" The door opens as Izuku enters the room.

Uraraka leans over the table to see around Iida, finding Izuku at the door. "Deku-chan!" The brunette blinks, tilting her head as Izuku approaches the table she is sitting at. "Huh? You didn't want to watch the others' matches?"

"Most ended quickly, and now Kirishima-kun is up against someone from Class B," Izuku explains.

At the information, Uraraka tightens her hold on her wristband. "Then, next…" The brunette looks down at her hands as her nerves begin to bubble up again, making her tense. "Soon…"

Iida, sensing his brunette friend's unease, comments in order to reassure Uraraka, "But, well, I don't think even Bakugo-kun would use a full-strength explosion on a girl…" He trails off as he meets Midoriya's serious face as he remembers how back in the battle trial Bakugo had set off a full-strength explosion at the green-haired girl. _However, that was most probably due to their past relationship to each other—there is no guarantee that he would do so to any other girl._ Iida tries reassuring himself as he glances at Uraraka.

"He would." Izuku deadpans, causing both Iida and Uraraka's breaths to hitch. "Everyone is trying to become number one to make their dreams come true. Even if it's not Kacchan, no one would think about holding back." Izuku elaborates, "You've helped me so much, Uraraka-san." Izuku holds up her battered-up notebook, "That's why I thought maybe I could help you a little." After looking down at the beaten and dirty notebook, Izuku's eyes narrow a bit for a moment.

It was the same notebook that Katsuki had blasted back in their 3rd year of middle school.

Izuku shuts her eyes for a second as she inhales a large breath then exhales as she opens her emerald orbs in determination and pushes out the book. "A plan to use your Quirk against Kacchan—it's rough, but I came up with something."

"Oh!" Iida waves his hand at Izuku with a smile. He then excitably turns to Uraraka, dramatically waving his hands at her, as he gives the distraught girl a large smile and thumbs up. "Isn't that great, Uraraka-kun!"

"Thanks, Deku-chan," Uraraka replies, turning to her friends. She presses her fingers together as she claims. "But, it's fine."

The confidence in Uraraka's voice causes both Izuku and Iida's breath to hitch.

Uraraka turns back to face the table in front of her. "You're amazing, Deku-chan." She begins, "I keep seeing more and more amazing sides to you. During the cavalry battle, I thought it'd be easier to team up with friends," Uraraka squeezes her hands, fisting them on the table. "But, now that I think about it, I might've been trying to rely on you. That's why, when Iida-kun said he'd challenge you," The brunette pushes herself off the table, standing up as she looks down with lamenting eyes. "It actually made me feel a little embarrassed."

"Uraraka-san…" Izuku mutters.

 _Uraraka-kun…_ Iida silently stares at Uraraka as she walks past him and Midoriya.

"That's why it's fine," Uraraka mutters as she passes her two friends. She stops right before the open door. "Everyone is facing the future and trying their hardest. That means we're all rivals, right?" A smile spreads on Uraraka's mouth as she turns to her two friends—her two rivals—and raises a thumb up, quivering. "Let's meet in the finals!"

While things were heating up in the waiting room, the real action was out on stage. Flurries of punches and strikes were aimed at each of the toughened boys as they fight head-to-head. Kirishima and Tetsutetsu roar as they each land a punch to the cheek on the other boy, both freezing in place before falling to the ground.

Present Mic screeches, "The two guys with the same Quirks! Tetsutetsu versus Kirishima!" Both boys lay on the ground passed out as Mic announces, "A head-to-head fistfight! The winner is—"

Midnight walks onto the field, examining both boys' conditions. Tetsutetsu lays unconscious, face roughed up and bleeding. Likewise, Kirishima lays unconscious with his faced roughed up and bleeding as well. Midnight raises her hand as she announces, "Both contestants down! It's a draw!" At the umpire's call, the audience cheers for the hard-fought battle as Midnight elaborates. "In the case of a draw, after they recover, the winner will be determined by a simple contest, like arm wrestling."

Robot stretchers carry the unconscious boys out of the battlefield, escorting them to Recovery Girl's temporary nurse's office as Present Mic announces, "While we wait for Tetsutetsu and Kirishima to recover, we'll start the next match!"

Iida and Midoriya rejoin the rest of Class A and take their seats right as Asui comments, "Next might be the most disturbing match-up."

Jirou shivers, rubbing her arms. "I almost don't want to watch…"

Both Iida and Midoriya's mouth are tightly shut, holding their breath as they watch the combatants take the stage, only gasping when they catch sight of their brunette friend entering the arena. Both are tense.

"The eighth and last match of the first round!"

"He was kind of famous in middle school!" Katsuki scowls at the introduction as he understands that Present Mic was referencing that embarrassing incident. "This isn't the face of a regular person! From the hero course, it's Bakugo Katsuki!"

"Versus—"

"She's the one I'm rooting for!" Uraraka clenches her fist as she glares at Bakugo in determination. "From the hero course, Uraraka Ochako!"

Uraraka takes a deep breath to cool her nerves. _I am going to give it my all…_ Her large brown eyes narrow in determination.

 _…_ _and win!_

"You're the one that makes things float, right, Round Face?" Katsuki glares at the brunette, recognizing her as Izuku's friend—the one that his childhood friend had teamed up with during the battle trial.

"Round…?" Uraraka chokes on those words.

"If you're gonna withdraw, do it now," Katsuki warns the brunette. "You won't get off with just an 'ouch'."

Uraraka grits her teeth before steeling her resolve and glaring back at the ash blonde teen. Katsuki silently glares back with his crimson orbs, calm and collected with his hands in his pocket.

Meanwhile, back in the stands, Iida questions his friend. "Midoriya-kun, what was the strategy you were going to tell Uraraka-kun earlier for her to use against Bakugo-kun?"

"It wasn't much, really." Izuku looks down at her battered-up notebook. "Kacchan is strong." She confesses. "In a real close combat fight, he has no openings, and the more he moves, the more he sweats, making his Explosion Quirk stronger." Izuku explains, "He can use the blasts from his explosions to move around in the air, but if Uraraka-san touches Kacchan and uses her Quirk to make him float, then she would have the upper hand." Emerald orbs return to the battlefield. "That's why… the first move Uraraka-san should do is…"

Uraraka inhales then exhales, steeling her nerves.

"Eighth match start!"

On the call, Uraraka sprints forward, bending low as she dashes towards her ash blonde opponent. Bakugo bends his knees and leans forward in response, bracing himself to attack.

"…a swift attack!" Izuku concludes.

"Withdrawing isn't a chance!" Uraraka shouts in her mad dash to Bakugo.

"All right" Izuku cheers as Iida beside her grins. "That's good. Even if it's an accident, as long as she touches him, she can make him float!"

"Bakugo-kun wouldn't want Uraraka-kun to get close to him," Iida adds, excited.

"That's why Kacchan won't want to evade. He'll want to counterattack!" Izuku concludes.

Bakugo raises his hand slightly as he glares at the incoming brunette girl. "Then, die!"

 _"_ _Kacchan… You usually start with a big right swing."_

Seeing Bakugo turn his body slightly in order to prepare for a right swing, Uraraka grits her teeth and doesn't stop running. _Here!_ Uraraka raises her arms as she braces herself while Bakugo also raises his right arm. _Here…!_

 _If I dodge here…!_ Uraraka ducks down in order to dodge her predicted right swing—however, what came to her was not a right physical swing, but rather a right swing insinuating an explosive blast right in her face.

Iida and Midoriya shout simultaneously for their brunette friend.

"Uraraka-kun!"

"Uraraka-san!"

Jirou releases a small shriek as she holds her hands over her ears. Mineta pales as he questions, "Did he blast her?"

"Even though you're fighting a girl, you have no mercy, do you, Bakugo-chan?" Asui comments.

Meanwhile, Uraraka's vision is covered in black smoke from Bakugo's explosion. Though the explosion was directly in her face, it was weak so it didn't have much effect physically, but that didn't change the fact that now Uraraka's vision was covered. "This is no good. Even if I knew about it, I couldn't react in time."

Katsuki takes a step back, crimson eyes squinted calculatingly. "I'll take care of you." He raises his arm in readying for combat. Noticing the small flicker of movement within the smoke, Katsuki instantly reacts. "Don't underestimate me!" He shouts as he shoots a blast.

However, the sensation didn't feel right to Katsuki—and he realizes why after meeting the girl's jacket with his hand and slamming it into the ground. Katsuki gasps as his eyes widen. _When did she?!_

"Oh!" Present Mic praises, "She made her jacket float and sent it over there?! She did it in an instant too!"

Uraraka quickly moves behind Bakugo, _If I make him float now—!_ Uraraka extends her hand, lunging for the ash blonde boy's back.

Katsuki, noticing the girl's movements, swiftly reacts. He twirls around, swinging an explosion at the girl to push her away.

Uraraka screams as she is blasted away by the explosion, hitting the ground and rolling to regain her footing.

In Class A's stand, Sero gasps out, impressed. "He moved after he saw her?"

"With that reaction time, it doesn't matter if there's a smokescreen," Kaminari mutters. "With Uraraka not being able to activate her Quirk unless she touches him, she's at a disadvantage with Bakugo's reflexes."

Katsuki roughly waves away the smokescreen in his face as Uraraka charges at him once again. "Too slow!" Katsuki yells as he swings his arm up, causing another blast which shatters the cement floor of the battlefield.

Both Iida and Midoriya pale at the sight, unable to stomach seeing their friend go through such a beating.

"Take this!" Uraraka screams as she once again lunges at Bakugo.

Katsuki's reflexes swiftly react as he swings an explosion at the girl again.

"Ochako-chan…" Asui's breath hitches from the stands.

Jirou covers her eyes. "I can't watch!"

"Bakugo, don't tell me… your tastes run in _that_ direction…" Mineta mutters, face serious.

Over and over again, Uraraka stands back up and charges at Bakugo—in response, Bakugo blasts the girl again and again as she approaches him, pushing her across the battlefield with his explosions.

"Not yet!" Uraraka screams as she once again charges at Bakugo only to be once again blasted away from him.

From the commentators' box, Present Mic can't help but comment. "Uraraka keeps attacking without rest, but… this is…"

The crowd also agrees with the commentator, all of them unable to stand to watch such a one-sided battle. "Her substitution earlier didn't work, so she's getting desperate."

"What an idiot." Monoma sighs as he looks up at the pro hero in the audience who said that comment. This causes the blonde's classmates to look at the twisted boy with confused looks.

 **Boom!** Bakugo once again swings his explosion at the persistent Uraraka who still keeps standing up.

Several pro heroes begin to protest.

"Hey, shouldn't you stop this?"

"Isn't he going too far?"

However, the match continues.

"I can't watch this…"

"Hey! How can you say you want to be a hero like that?!" A pro hero within the audience stands, "If there's such a huge difference in your abilities, then hurry up and send her out of bounds!"

Bakugo ignores the jeering, though, too focused on the battle just as Uraraka is. The brunette girl once again stands up and charges at the ash blonde teen and Katsuki quickly blasts her.

"Stop bullying and playing with the poor girl!"

"Yeah! Yeah!"

The crowd begins to boo at Bakugo and Present Mic narrates. "There's a booing from part of the crowd…" The blonde pro hero mutters. "But, honestly, I also feel the sa—" The instant Mic was about to finish his sentence, Aizawa elbows him with his cast-covered arm. Present Mic grunts, "An elbow?! What're ya doin'?!"

Ignoring his ex-classmate, Aizawa lifts the microphone that Present Mic had been using, addressing the audience. "Was that a pro saying he's playing around? How many years have you been a pro?"

"Huh?" Present Mic questions Aizawa's sudden burst of action.

The jeering crowd becomes silent as Aizawa berates them. "If you're saying that with a straight face, there's no point in you watching anymore, so go home!" Aizawa glares at the audience. "Go home, and look into changing careers!"

"Aizawa-sensei…" Izuku mutters out in surprise at the media-hating hero to actually take the microphone.

"Bakugo is being careful because he has acknowledged the strength of his opponent who has made it this far." Aizawa retorts, "It's because he's doing everything he can to win that he can't go easy on her or let his guard down."

Katsuki ignores the whole uproar—instead, focusing only on the persistent Uraraka.

 _Not yet…_

The brunette girl glares at him with her chocolate eyes as she pants.

 _She's still…_

Her face is full of determination.

 _…_ _not dead!_

"It's about time…" Uraraka mutters, "I think…"

At the words, Katsuki gasps slightly before bracing himself for the hinted attack.

"Thanks, Bakugo-kun…" Uraraka pants as she stands up straight, her face pale and ill-looking. "…for not letting your guard down…"

Katsuki falters for a second, arching an eyebrow at his opponent. "Huh?"

From the stands, Monoma explains to his classmates. "It can't be helped from where Bakugo is, but it's embarrassing for a pro in the stands to start booing without noticing." He mocks, "She kept her body low as she advanced, concentrating Bakugo's attacks on the ground, storing up weapons. And then, she narrowed his field of vision with relentless attacks to keep him from noticing." Monoma tilts his head back, looking at the sky above the stadium. His classmates follow suit, catching sight of all the bits and pieces of debris in the air.

"I'm gonna win!" Uraraka screams as she slams her fingertips together, deactivating her Quirk. The moment Uraraka released her hold of the debris, the bits of cement begin free falling in the air, accelerating back to earth and straight down towards Bakugo Katsuki.

"A meteor shower?!" Present Mic screams in shock, his eyes bulging.

"You should've noticed." Aizawa deadpans.

Izuku hastily jumps out of her seat. "She had a desperate plan like that up her sleeve?!"

Meanwhile, in face of the incoming rocks, Katsuki's crimson eyes focus on them with a glare.

Uraraka kicks off, dashing towards the distracted Bakugo. _With this much debris, whether he's evading or counterattacking, there will definitely be an opening!_

 _In that moment, I'll get close to him with my secret move!_

Katsuki raises his left arm into the air just as Uraraka puts her hands together and makes herself weightless, gliding towards her opponent. _I'll win!_

Uraraka squints her determined brown eyes as she lunges.

 _I'll win and be like Deku-chan, too!_

There is a crackle that resounds in Katsuki's left forearm as his hand glows brightly—and, then, there is the explosion. Uraraka groans as she is thrown back from the mere force of the blast even though it was aimed straight at the incoming debris. The forceful gust from Katsuki's explosion reaches the stand, pushes past the audience in the stands, blowing them right in the face.

The explosion is humongous—powerful and large, strong enough to push all of the debris away and out of the stadium entirely.

From the pressure of the explosion, Uraraka had been thrown back onto the floor, skidding painfully against the cement. Gradually, the brunette recovers enough to sit on her knees.

"Since you're friends with Deku, I thought you'd be up to something…" Katsuki growls in the center of the smoke.

Uraraka pales as he brown eyes dilated in shock and astonishment. "In one shot…"

"B-Bakugo delivers a satisfying explosion!" Present Mic screeches. Class A stares with their jaws dropped at the whole event, some paling at the angry ash blonde's show of prowess. "He blasts boldly through Uraraka's secret plan!"

Katsuki exhales a shaky breath as he lowers his quivering arms. _That was close…_

 _I did as much as I could…_ Uraraka stares in shock at Bakugo's undaunted form. She quickly shakes her head before lowering it to grimace at the ground in frustration. _But he wasn't fazed at all…_

Uraraka grits her teeth. _Even so…_ The brunette forces herself onto her feet, staggering slightly.

At the sight of his opponent rising to her feet, Katsuki smirks. Even if she had Izuku's help, he recognizes the girl's abilities and determination. "All right, let's get serious then, Uraraka!" He shouts as he charges at the girl.

 _If it were Deku-chan…_ Uraraka fists her hand before twisting around to face Bakugo head-on.

 _…_ _she wouldn't give up—!_

All of a sudden, Uraraka's knees lock up. Katsuki gasps and blinks as he notices the girl beginning to fall, seeing her blank face as the Uraraka's consciousness fades. Katsuki stops as Uraraka hits the floor.

"Uraraka is down!"

 _My… body… won't do… what I want…_ Ochako tries to move her legs but they could only twitch—she tries to move her arms, but they could only quiver.

Iida gasps with wide eyes as she watches Uraraka's determined struggle. "Uraraka-kun…"

"She passed her limit a long time ago…" Midoriya comments.

Ochako stretches out her hand, scratching the cement floor as she tries to crawl onto her feet. "I-I also…" Not letting his guard down, Katsuki gets into a battle stance, preparing for the brunette. "…can…!"

 _"_ _When I get big, I'll help you and Mommy!"_

 _"_ _I appreciate the thought, Ochako."_

 _"_ _But as your dad, I'd be even happier if you could achieve your dream."_

 _"_ _When that happens, you can take us to Hawaii!"_

Ochako clenches her teeth as she glares up at her opponent, persevering.

 _I'll become… a hero…!_

Ochako's vision fades to white.

Once Uraraka stops moving, Midnight rushes to the brunette and hold a hand up, signaling for Bakugo to stop, allowing the boy to lower his battle stance.

Uraraka mutters out hoarsely, "Daddy…"

Midnight examines Uraraka's condition, deeming the girl unfit for battle. "Uraraka-san is out of commission. Bakugo-kun advances to the second round!"

The audience roars in response.

* * *

 **There it was! The first round is over!**

 **I added a bit of extra to a particular scene, I wonder if anyone noticed?**

 **Anywho, you guys all know what's next right?**

 **If you have any ideas, please comment!**

 **I hope you enjoyed the chapter!**

 **Next: Midoriya vs. Todoroki!**


	22. Midoriya vs Todoroki

**Hello everyone! Sorry for the delay!**

 **You see, school started back up again last week so I haven't had much time to write (to get used to my new schedule + homework). And well, my teacher pretty much told us the first day of class that we'd have no life for the next 8 weeks (now 7 weeks). So please bear with me on my limited amount of time to update!**

 **Anyways, it's almost time for the end of Sports Fes Arc which brings in another filler arc (until internships which is about 1-2 weeks after the sports festival) and then the internship/Hero Killer Arc with another filler arc once the kids get back in class! So if you have any ideas beyond the beach/pool theme for summer (cause I will have that. I WILL) please comment!**

 **Okay, now I hope you enjoy the chapter!**

* * *

"Take her to Recovery Girl." The crowd cheers in the background as Midnight directs the stretcher-carrying robot with the battered Uraraka on the stretcher. Katsuki peers from the staircase, watching the injured girl being carried away for a moment before turning around to leave from the opposite end.

"The eighth match of the first round…" Present Mic sighs, "Oh, Uraraka…" He deadpans, "Oh yeah, Bakugo advances to the second round."

"If you're gonna do it, do it properly." Aizawa lectures the blonde.

However, Aizawa is ignored as Present Mic starts again. "Now, let's pull ourselves together—"

"You're really letting your personal feelings take over…" Aizawa retorts.

"The first round is all done!" Present Mic announces, without even addressing the other hero. "Let's move on to the next round quickly after a short break!"

Meanwhile, Izuku is walking through the halls towards her designated waiting room. Her emerald orbs stare at the tiles on the floor sadly as she ponders on Uraraka.

 _"Let's meet in the finals!"_

Izuku grits her teeth. _Uraraka-san…_

Around the same time, Katsuki is climbing up the stairs with a frown on his face—only for it to contort into a scowl when he catches sight of a familiar mop of green. Both Katsuki and Izuku freeze when they catch sight of the other; Katsuki having a raging glare and Izuku's eye bulging from shock.

"Woah—oh!" Izuku shrieks, jolting slightly at the sight of the ash blonde teen. "Kacchan?"

"What the—?! What the hell do you want?!" Katsuki rapidly snaps. "Die, scum!"

"Eh—uh… well," Izuku fumbles with her words as she shakily points to herself. "I'm next, so… I was going to get ready in the waiting room…" Rigidly, Izuku turns away from Katsuki, though her head still faces the blonde. "Oh, also, congrats on winning the first round…" She manages to awkwardly mutter out before robotically striding away. "Later…"

Katsuki glowers, climbing the rest of the steps onto the next floor. "That was your idea, wasn't it? That damned desperate plan." He spits out. "You just have to be annoying, don't you? What the hell—"

"It wasn't," Izuku interjects, cutting Katsuki off mid-rant. Katsuki grits his teeth at how the girl dared to cut him off, glaring at her as she turns around to face him with her clear emeralds. "All of it… Uraraka-san planned it all thinking about how she could beat you." Izuku retorts, "If you thought that was annoying, that was because… Uraraka-san was leading you around by the nose!"

Katsuki grunts in mild astonishment. _That bitch did…_ His crimson eye twitches in irritation.

Katsuki clicks his tongue before turning away from Izuku and begins sauntering off. Izuku takes this as a sign that Katsuki was done with this conversation, so she too twirls around. However, just as she is about to take a step forward, she hears him.

"I'm gonna be number one." Katsuki's calm, gruff voice echoes off the walls of the hallway. "Doesn't matter if it's gonna be against you or that half-and-half fucker—"

 _You don't have to rub it in…_ Izuku scowls at the statement, clenching her fist as Katsuki continues. "—So,"

"Don't go doing something stupid."

Izuku's furiously clenched hand relaxes as her lips part but no noise escapes from them.

Katsuki gives one last split-second glance at the girl's back before turning back around and leaving her alone.

"Hey, Bakugo!" Sero greets the ash blonde teen as he enters the Class A section of the stands. "That was tough, huh? Playing the bad guy."

"Even if it was because of the matchup, you played an amazing villain, Bakugo-chan." Asui teases.

"Shut up! Be quiet!" Katsuki yells at his classmates as he saunters to his seat.

"But man," Kaminari berates, "I can't believe you were able to aim such a huge blast at a frail girl." The long-haired blonde groans, leaning back in his seat. "I couldn't help but hold back."

Sero grimaces at the blonde's comment though Asui voices the thought, deadpanning. "She completely sealed you off, Kaminari-chan."

"Y-You know what, Tsuyu-chan…" Kaminari pathetically tries to retort.

Katsuki huffs, falling into his seat next to the electric boy with a scowl on his face as he growls. "What part of her was frail?"

Katsuki's crimson orbs narrow.

 _Her and Deku both._

The moment Izuku opens the door to waiting room two, she is instantly greeted by a smiling Uraraka. "Man, I lost…" The brunette scratches the back of her head.

Strained noises escape Izuku's gaping mouth as she stares at Uraraka with her dilated emeralds. "Huh…?"

"I got carried away at the end thinking I could do it, dang it." Uraraka continues with a mild laugh.

"Uraraka-san," Izuku closes the door behind her before she approaches her friend. "What about your injuries? Are you okay?"

"Yeah! Recovery Girl took care of me!" Uraraka elaborates, "It was only moderate healing so it wouldn't drain my stamina, so I've still got scratches and stuff, though."

Izuku exhales a small breath of relief.

"But, man…!" Uraraka abruptly outbursts with fist her hand, grimacing in frustration. "Bakugo-kun was really strong! He totally got me. I need to work harder, too!" Izuku stares at her friend, shocked to silence by her sudden out-of-character action. Uraraka, seeming to have noticed this, looks up at her green-haired friend with dilated eyes. "Oh,"

Izuku pales, stepping back slightly as she questions with concern. "Are you… all right?"

"I'm fine! Better than expected!" Uraraka reassures her friend. The pink cell phone in her hand vibrates as a call comes in, but Uraraka ignores it in favor of pulling the phone close as she looks down at the table with a small smile. "I mean, you immediately started looking ahead, Deku-chan, and just because I lost doesn't mean I can lose."

Izuku's brows furrow. She didn't like it—seeing Uraraka, her first friend in high school, hiding her pain and sadness. Izuku wished to help—to encourage the brunette. So, Izuku reaches out. "That's…" However, Izuku's words are cut off by the sound of a howl.

"The draw from the seventh match of the first round, Kirishima and Tetsutetsu!" Present Mic screams as the said two boys are pushing all their strength in order to beat the other. "The winner of their arm wrestling match to decide who advances to the second round it…"

Both boys groan and roar as they tightly clasp their strengthened hands together, pushing out all the strength they can muscle in order to ensure their victory. Amidst the intense pressure, Tetsutetsu's iron armor cracks, causing the boy to flinch and groan out. This gives Kirishima all the time he needs in order to slam Tetsutetsu's hand straight into the cement slab.

"Winner, Kirishima-kun!" Midnight quickly announces, "He moves on to the next round!"

Kirishima pumps his fist in the air, roaring, "Yes…!"

"The one who won his ticket was Kirishima!" Present Mic screeches, inciting more and louder cheers throughout the audience.

"Aggh!" Tetsutetsu moans in pain as he clutches his arm. "My metal fatigue… I should've eaten more iron…!" Kirishima steps forward, drawing a grunt from the silver-haired boy.

The redhead extends his hand out, offering it to the fallen silver-haired boy. "It… was a good match." Kirishima's features seem more chiseled as he states this, a sparkly aura of masculinity exuding from him.

Tetsutetsu turns his head away slightly as he chuckles with the same aura as Kirishima. He then takes the redhead's hand, allowing himself to be helped up. In the background, Midnight squeals over the display. "S-So youthful!"

"Now we've got everyone who's advancing to the second round!" Present Mic announces, "So, let's get started!"

Hearing the announcement, Izuku blinks. "Already?" She then turns to flash a small smile to Uraraka, bowing her head slightly. "See you."

The green-haired girl twirls around, walking towards the exit to only. "Oh, sorry Deku-chan!" Uraraka reaches out, "You weren't able to prepare at all since I was here…"

Izuku grabs the handle of the door before shaking her head and turning around. "No, I'm fine."

Uraraka relaxes at these words and she gives Izuku a smile and raises a hand up. "I'll be watching, 'kay? Good luck."

Izuku stares at the brunette for a moment, befuddled, before she gives her a nervous smile. "Thanks." The green-haired girl then leaves, closing the door behind her with a squeak.

Uraraka continues to smile as she listens to the sound of Izuku's footsteps fade with distance. Once the echo is faint, the brunette flips open her pink cell phone and redials the call she had earlier missed. The vibratory noise of the call seemed to bounce off the walls of the waiting room before a snap is heard and Ochako opens with, "Sorry about not picking up earlier, Daddy."

"No, it's fine. Sorry for calling when you're busy." The voice of Ochako's father greets the girl from the other end. "Your mom and I watched you on TV. You were so close!" He adds, "But you were amazing!"

"It wasn't that close. And I wasn't amazing." Ochako mutters, "I rushed too much in the end, too." Her hand on the cold stone table trembles as she gradually slides it off. "I didn't have a plan for what to do after that, either." Ochako narrows her chocolate orbs in sadness. "I was completely beaten."

"Is that so?" Ochako's father begins, "I don't understand complicated things, but just because you lost doesn't mean your path's been closed off, right?" He comforts, "There's always next year, right?"

Ochako's lips spread thin in a straight line before she answers. "The further you advance, the more you can show how well you do against different types." Her voice comes out shaky as she shakes her head. "The scouts can't tell with just one match."

"What're you in such a hurry for?" Ochako's father prompts.

"I mean…" Ochako sniffles, tears beginning to brim her eyes. "I want to hurry and help you guys…"

"Ochako, it's fine even if you don't rush." He reassures his daughter. Tears drip down Ochako's round cheeks, splashing into the smooth stone surface of the table as she tries to stifle her sobs. "You're such a kind girl, Ochako, so I know you'll be a great hero."

At those words, Ochako releases the dam holding back her tears. She cries—not so loud that she is wailing but loud enough so that Izuku – who had actually paused in her step rather than actually leaving – could hear the sounds of Ochako's sobs.

Izuku closes her eyes for a moment, listening to the sound of her friend's grief and frustration manifesting. Steeling herself, she then moves forward, her emerald eyes opening to only narrow at the ground as she walks with a grimace. _Isn't it obvious? There's no way she's not frustrated._

 _Even so, I can't believe I said that I could help… when I couldn't do anything for her…_

Izuku's mouth twists. _Instead…_

 _"I'll be watching, 'kay? Good luck"_

Izuku raises her right arm over her eyes, wiping the budding tears away.

 _… she encouraged **me** again…_

With newfound resolve, Izuku continues on her path—only for it to be interrupted just as she reaches the intersection.

Out from the side strides Endeavor, fully equipped in his hero suit with its flames. The sudden appearance of the large man causes Izuku to jump, her eyes bulging practically as she shrieks. "Endeavor?!"

This, unfortunately, catches said No.2 Hero's attention. "Oh, there you are," Endeavor turns to Izuku, blocking her path.

"Endeavor… what are you doing here…?" Izuku manages to stutter out before taking a step back as Endeavor steps closer to her.

"I watched you fight," The Flame Hero points at the bewildered green-haired girl. "You have a wonderful Quirk. You created so much wind pressure just by flicking your fingers." Izuku cannot help but be drawn to the man's hidden, cold turquoise eyes which glare down at her. "If we're talking about power alone, yours is comparable to All Might's."

Izuku tenses as her breath hitches. Her nerves spike as a clump of spit builds in the back of her throat, leading the girl to gulp it down. "Wh—What are you…" Cold sweat lingers on the back of her neck as her emerald orbs avert from the cold, dominating presence of the Flame Hero. Izuku's mind races.

 _Does he know?_

"What are you trying to say?" Confused, concerned, and bewildered, Izuku dodges around Endeavor's barricade. "I have to go."

 _Endeavor knows about One For All?_ Izuku's brows furrow at the thought as she forcefully walks past the daunting man. Izuku analyzes Endeavor's earlier words, slowing down for a moment to turn and look at the No. 2 Hero. _No, from the way he talked, he doesn't know._

The green-haired girl grimaces before turning around and continuing her stride in order to escape from the stuffy atmosphere created by the dominating man. _Anyway, this is the one person I can't let find out._

"It is my Shouto's duty to surpass All Might." Endeavor's statement causes Izuku to pause.

Izuku felt sick. It was as if something had decided to shoot up from her stomach, forcing its way up her esophagus before lodging itself in the back of her throat. She was so close to the end of the hallway yet at those words she couldn't—wouldn't move.

The green-haired girl pushes herself to listen to Endeavor's cocky taunts. "His match with you will be a very instructive test bed."

 _An 'instructive test bed'…?_

Izuku's lips fall into a frown as she furrows her eyebrows. "Please don't disgrace yourself in it."

 _No—that isn't what you are really saying._

Izuku feels her usual anxious warmth run cold as shivers tiptoe down her spine.

Todoroki's cold determination flows into her mind—that sad and raging glacier or words. _"Without using my damn old man's Quirk… No—I'll reject him completely by winning first place without using it."_

 _You want to rile me up to get Todoroki-kun to use his fire side._

"That was all I wanted to say." Endeavor leaves his parting words, "I apologize for bothering you right before the match." Endeavor turns around, deeming that the conversation was over and begins walking away.

Izuku, on the other hand, did not think so.

 _Todoroki-kun… you had to shoulder this all on your own…? To be constantly compared to All Might and be forced to bear such a heavy weight on your shoulders—_

The image of Todoroki's looming distraught figure as he emotionlessly melts his own ice flash in Izuku's mind. The white- and red-haired boy is aloof under the bright afternoon sun as the heat emits from his left palm and the colossal ice cap.

 _—so much so that you even began to hate your own self._

The green-haired girl's shoulders tense as the words slip from her mouth.

"I…" A growl escapes Izuku, causing the retreating Endeavor to stop and turn to look at the girl. "I am not All Might…"

Endeavor arches an eyebrow at the girl, finding her declaration ridiculous. However, to be polite, Endeavor humors the girl with a response. "That's obvious—"

"That's obvious, right?" Izuku's sharp tone cuts through the air like a dagger. The freckled face girl looks over her shoulder with a furious glare. "Todoroki-kun, isn't you, either."

Izuku doesn't flinch as her raging emeralds meet Endeavor's cold turquoise orbs and hold their own against the icy yet fiery presence. No longer able to stand the tension any longer and the lingering thought of her upcoming match leads Izuku to turn away from the menacing No. 2 Hero and head to the arena.

 _Todoroki-kun…_

Izuku's large peridot eyes narrow in focus and determination as a fire which had been growing since the end of the second-round flares in her soul—screaming.

As Izuku and Todoroki prepare to stand on stage, Uraraka arrives at the seats for Class A. The brunette scans the seats and a small smile lifts on her lips as she spots a familiar neat head of dark blue hair. Rubbing at her irritated eyes once more, Ochako pumps herself up before approaching her friend. "Those two haven't started yet?"

At the sounds of Uraraka's casual entrance, Iida and Tokoyami both turn to look up at the girl. "Huh? Ura—ah!" Iida ends with a slight shout, shocked by Uraraka's appearance.

Uraraka's usually large chocolate eyes are squinted practically shut and her eyelids are bright red as she purses her lips and pumps her fists. "I've gotta watch."

"Were your eyes hurt too?!" Iida frets over the brunette, worried for his friend. "You must hurry to Recovery Girl—"

"I already went." Uraraka insists, trying to pacify her friend's concern as she rubs her eyes some more. Uraraka approaches the empty seat between Iida and Tokoyami. "This is… you know… it's different."

"It's different?!" Iida repeats as Uraraka sits down in her seat. Seeing the girl's secured in her seat, Iida turns away to look back at the stage with furrowed brows. "If that's the case, then you must've been really frustrated earlier." Iida tries to console Uraraka. Despite his usual denseness, Iida could sympathize with his friend's frustrations as he too had experienced the same sort of feeling when having lost to Midoriya many times prior. So, Iida wishes that he could be of help to Uraraka—in order to cheer the normally chirpy girl back up.

"Rather than feeling regretful right now," Tokoyami cuts in, "You should use this next match as a source of encouragement."

Iida dries out from those words, seeing the true value of not only consoling the past but also pushing to move on as Uraraka agrees with the other boy. "Yeah."

Slightly dejected, Iida admits. "That's true."

"Thanks for waiting, everybody!" Present Mic begins announcing, causing the audience to roar as the flames at the corners of the stage blaze up. "The first match of the second round is a big match!"

"The man who won a huge victory in the first round and literally left the audience frozen—" Todoroki strides onto the stage with an air of cool, aloof confidence. "From the hero course, it's Todoroki Shouto!"

"On the other hand, this girl barely made it past the first round! What kind of fight will she show us this time?" Midoriya climbs up the steps without her usual atmosphere of nervousness as she glares at her opponent with solid determination in her jade orbs. "From the hero course, it's Midoriya Izuku!"

From the Class A stands, Katsuki's focus is on the two on stage just as the rest of his class's attention is.

"Tokoyami-kun, what do you think of this match?" Iida inquires for the dark bird-like boy's opinion.

"It depends on whether or not Midoriya jumps in close to Todoroki." Tokoyami comments, watching the stage.

"Yeah." Uraraka nods as her eyebrows furrow and she leans forward, focusing her attention on her green-haired best friend. "What is Deku-chan going to do about that ice?"

Meanwhile, in the stands, Thirteen turns to All Might and prompts. "Those two both tried to save you, didn't they?"

"Yeah," All Might nods, "It's just a feeling, but I think those two… give off the same vibe."

"At this year's sports festival, both have shown top-class performances!" Present Mic introduces, "It's like two great rivals fighting against each other!"

"Now," The audience becomes quiet with tense anticipation as Present Mic announces, "Midoriya vs. Todoroki—"

Izuku holds her right hand out, preparing for a flick as Todoroki pivots forward with his right foot. **_The instant we start…_**

"—Start!"

 _Go…!_ Ice bursts from the floor, spreading as fast as wildfire from Todoroki's right foot.

Izuku extends her right arm as she glares at the swift incoming ice wave, drawing the power of One For All into her middle finger. _Smash!_ With a flick, great force is emitted from Izuku's finger, shattering the incoming ice and pushing the broken pieces towards Todoroki in a strong gust. Todoroki raises his arms to defend himself from the wind as he creates an ice shield behind him to keep him from being blown away. The great gust of cold wind attacks the audience sitting behind Todoroki causing several to scream at the pressure.

However, the two combatants on stage do not pay any mind to the audience. Instead, Todoroki glares at his green-haired opponent, cold and calculating. _Just as I expected._ On the other hand, Izuku grips her right wrist as her swollen middle finger twitches in pain. _She was prepared to injure herself to negate the attack._

"Wow!" Present Mic exclaims as the crowd roars. "Midoriya stopped Todoroki's attack!"

Without further delay, Todoroki launches another glacier at Izuku who saw the attack coming. Quickly, she charges her index finger, letting the crimson flow of One For All reach the tips of her finger before she launches the force at the ice. "Smash!" The force of One For All shatters Todoroki's ice once again, sending a great pressure of ice cold gusts back at Todoroki.

"She stopped it again!"

Izuku grits her teeth at the pain which jolts from her broken index finger. On the other hand, Todoroki braces himself for the wind, letting out a click from his tongue. "Damn…"

A grimace surfaces on Izuku's face as she focuses on her thoughts more than the pain rushing through her right hand as it trembles. _From what I know of Todoroki-kun's fighting, he always attacks in an instant, so I don't have much data on him._ Izuku's emerald orbs are dilated as they twitch and sweat slides down her freckled cheek. _Data…_

 _During this fight, I need to find an opening…_

Izuku focuses on her white- and red-haired opponent who stands in front of a mini ice wall. _The ice he's stuck behind him is probably how he plans to keep from being blown away._ Izuku glances down at her right hand, lingering on her broken fingers for a moment before she balls her fist. _Which means I was right to use my fingers. It's likely that it could even work against a 100% smash where I sacrifice my arm._ Her eyes flicker back to Todoroki, concentrating on the stoic white- and red-haired boy.

 _I've got to look carefully…_

 _Think…_

 _Find it…_

Izuku's right arm shakes in front of her but her jade orbs only focus on Todoroki with frighteningly desperate determination.

 _I've got six more chances…!_

Todoroki exhales an icy breath. His body temperature has dropped greatly due to the onslaught of ice barrages he continues to throw at the stubborn girl. Seeing Izuku's bullheaded determination to continue this strategy, he mutters out in exasperation. "You're…"

Izuku snaps out of her little daze with a gasp just as Todoroki launches another ice wave at her. Quickly, Izuku pushes One For All into her ring finger before hitting the ice with the great force of her Quirk. The shattered ice chunks fly back towards Todoroki's direction in an onslaught of heavy pressured gusts of ice.

 _Just… five more chances!_

As the two competitors continue their back and forth exchange of attacks, Kirishima enters the Class A stands. Realizing that the match had already started, the redhead chokes before rushing to his friends. "It started?!"

At Kirishima's outburst, Kaminari and Sero turn to the redhead with Kaminari congratulating his friend. "Oh! Kirishima, good job making it to the second round."

"Yeah, I'll be up against you next, Bakugo." Kirishima turns to his friends with a bright grin. "Let's have a good fight!"

However, Katsuki did not really care for what Kirishima had to say—instead, he wished to focus on the intense match happening right before him. Crimson orbs focus on the exchange between Izuku and Todoroki, focusing on the combat rather than the awful feelings which bloom in his gut every time Izuku uses her Quirk. Despite his concentration on the match, Katsuki stoically retorts without blinking an eye. "I'll kill you."

To his threat, Kirishima only laughs. "I'd like to see you try!" The redhead slacks after the statement before commenting. "But man, you and Todoroki can both shoot off powerful attacks that cover a lot of ground." To emphasize his point, Kirishima makes motions of explosions with sound effects. "Like, boom!"

"And you can do it with no time lag," Sero complains, squinting at Katsuki with furrowed brows.

Once again, without averting his focus from the match, Katsuki retorts. "I'm not just shooting them off. Don't underestimate 'em." At the informative statement, Kirishima, Kaminari, and Sero blink at the explosive ash blonde teen as he elaborates. "If you overuse your muscles, the muscle fibers tear; and if you keep running, you'll run out of breath." Katsuki lowers his head to glance at his left forearm. _There's a limit to how much power I can produce, too._

 _That's why I designed my costume so that I could fire blasts in excess of what my body allows without any risk._

"Quirks are physical abilities, too." Katsuki continues, sitting up as his rubies narrow as they focus on the field. The ice that Izuku had shattered blows away from the field beyond Todoroki who stands on the opposite end of the battlefield. "They must also have some kind of limit."

"If I think about it like that, I guess that makes sense…" Kirishima cannot help but agree with the calm and collected Bakugo as something clicks in his mind. He turns to the stage, astonished. "Then, against the instant-killer Todoroki, Midoriya wants…"

Katsuki focuses on Izuku with narrow crimson eyes. _Deku is aiming for…_

 _…an endurance match, huh?_ Todoroki concludes as he glares at his green-haired opponent. "I'll end this quickly." Todoroki declares as he bends forward and launches another ice rush at Izuku.

Seeing another incoming wave of cold, Izuku grits her teeth as her breath hitches. Quickly, she raises her right hand and flicks the power of One For All through her pinky to shatter the rushing ice. Her face contorts in pain as blood escapes her hand. _I've used up all the fingers on my right hand!_

Taking this momentary lapse, Todoroki freezes an ice bridge in order to close his distance between him and his opponent. The focused white- and red-haired boy rushes across the glacier, swiftly approaching the green-haired girl.

"Todoroki doesn't recoil from Midoriya's power and gets in close!" Present Mic narrates.

Izuku doesn't even have time to be in shock as she raises her left hand and aims for the ice sculpture in front of her. "Damn it…!" She groans as she flicks her left middle finger, sending the enormous power of One For All straight at the ice bridge, shattering it.

However, Todoroki does not flinch. The tactical boy jumps the moment Izuku launches her attack and takes aim for her. On reflex, Izuku whips her head to catch sight of Todoroki rushing at her from the air with his fist and she doesn't hesitate to dodge out of the way. However, the force of Todoroki's ice punch on the field causes Izuku to lose her balance and groan out.

Peripheral vision catching this moment of weakness, Todoroki's eyes snap open with focus on Izuku as he sends the ice up from his punch towards Izuku in the air.

Feeling her feet become cold, Izuku's eyes are dilated as she grits her teeth. Adrenaline brushes away the pain as she is too caught up in the moment to feel anything but awareness. _No good! He's too close!_

Izuku's emerald eyes twitch as they notice Todoroki growing ice behind him. Initially, Izuku feeds One For All into her ring finger—however, she knew that it wouldn't be enough. So she releases her finger to ball her fist and bring it back as bright scarlet veins of power surges through her left arm.

A great dust cloud builds from the force of the punch as Todoroki gets blown across the field from it, only to be shielded by his own ice.

Izuku screams out in pain for a moment before she shakes it off—she needed to concentrate on the battle. The green-haired girl glares as the clouds clear, revealing Todoroki who is sheltered by his ice, preventing him from sliding out of bounds. Izuku gasps at the sight.

"That's a lot more powerful than before." Todoroki pushes aside an ice crystal from in front of him. "Are you telling me not to get close?"

 _It's not just his Quirk._ Izuku grits her teeth. _His judgment, application skills, mobility… All of his abilities… are strong!_

Izuku lowers her head, her eyes narrowing in despair over the situation.

"What, you're that beat up just from defending and running away?" Todoroki taunts, causing Izuku to glance up at her opponent.

Izuku's emerald orbs widen as she gasps. She hadn't noticed it earlier—most probably because she has been so focused on the battle. _He's trembling…?_ Izuku grits her teeth in frustration. _Is that how it is…?_ She lowers her head to cover her expression. _Damn it…!_

"Sorry…" Todoroki exhales an icy breath. His right side is splattered with what looks like frostbites, but the boy does not seem to even feel the cold as he glances up at the stands—at his father. "Thanks, Midoriya. That guy's face is clouded over thanks to you."

Izuku clenches her teeth at those words. _This is wrong…!_

 _Why are you looking over there…?!_

"With your arms like that, you can't fight anymore, can you?" Todoroki prompts, "Let's finish this." The white- and red-haired boy launches another ice rush at the unmoving Izuku.

The ice gets closer and closer but Izuku does not flinch.

On the contrary, Izuku raises her head to glare at Todoroki with dilated jades as she growls. "Where are you looking at?"

Todoroki's breath hitches at the tone and the sudden menacing aura coming from his usually meek classmate. His mismatched eyes widen as his ice is once more shattered and the force which had shattered it sends Todoroki flying.

From the stands, class A's overall reaction is bewilderment as they each gasp with their eyes dilating at the sight. Katsuki's breath hitches as one of his scarlet eyes twitches.

Hastily, Todoroki continuously builds ice walls to keep himself on the battlefield as he grunts in pain from the blow and pressure. "You bastard…" Todoroki murmurs, frazzled. "With your broken finger…?" Unsteadily, Todoroki gets back onto his feet as he questions the green-haired girl. "Why are you going so far?"

"You're trembling, Todoroki-kun." Izuku's voice comes out rough like a rumble in her throat as she grits her teeth.

Todoroki's heterochromatic eyes dilate as he exhales an icy breath.

"Quirks are physical abilities, too," Izuku states as she brings her shaking, broken hand up gradually. "There's a limit to how much cold your body can take, isn't there? But, isn't that something you could solve by using the heat from your left side?"

At the mentioning of his left side, Todoroki clenches his teeth and glares at the green-haired girl.

"Everyone is fighting with everything they've got…" Izuku growls as she continues to raise her trembling right arm. "To win and get closer to their dreams…"

An image of Uraraka and Iida and Shinsou flashes in her mind.

"To become number one…"

Katsuki is there, standing tall and confident in her mind.

 _"Don't go doing something stupid."_

Izuku couldn't stand this ridiculousness any longer. "You want to win with just half your strength?!" She clenches her right fist, "You haven't put a single scratch on me yet, you know!"

Todoroki glares at the girl's declaration.

"Come at me with everything you've got!" Izuku screams at Todoroki, enraged.

Katsuki's glares at the green-haired girl out on the stage whose arms were covered in injuries. He had heard it. He had heard her outrage.

 _That idiot._

"Midoriya," Todoroki snarls, "What are you planning? _Everything I've got?_ " Full of flames of rage within his icy heart, Todoroki glares at the determined green-haired girl before him. "Did my damn old man buy you off or something?" He was being irrational—he knew deep down inside. But the rage was too great—with all the stress building within him, this was the only outlet.

Todoroki let his rage consume him.

The half white-, half red-haired boy charges at Izuku with great fury.

Izuku grits her teeth, glaring at the incoming boy only for her peridot eyes to widen as she notes the changes. _His movements are…!_

 _… slow!_ Katsuki's crimson orbs widen at the revelation. He puts a hand over his mouth as he processes the new information. _It's because frost fell on his body… Most likely, unlike the limit to my power, it's probably like the MP in a game…_

 _Was the scale during his fight with Soy Sauce-Face the upper limit?!_

Todoroki charges at the stagnant green-haired girl, closing the distance more and more. _In close quarters, you won't be able to do anything about it!_

However, unbeknownst to Todoroki, Izuku had decided to switch to offense. She had snapped—the frustrations piling up from the whole fiasco with Todoroki and his father and watching her classmate's sad rage had driven her over her edge. So the moment Todoroki takes a particularly large step forward, Izuku also takes off.

Todoroki instantly notices and his breath hitches. _The instant I lifted my right foot… this girl…!_

"Imagine… the microwave…" Izuku mutters as she closes the distance between her and Todoroki, causing the boy to release a surprised breath. "I won't explode…" Her fist is clenched as the scarlet power veins of One For All flow through her right arm. "It won't… It won't…! It won't…!" Izuku shouts as she punches Todoroki straight in the gut with a One For All charged fist.

"A solid hit!" Present Mic roars.

Just as the fist makes contact with Todoroki's stomach, the boy releases an icy air from his rand hand, promptly freezing Izuku's left elbow and forearm before he is sent flying across the battlefield. On instinct, Todoroki reaches out to the ground in order to break his momentum, successfully keeping himself within the rink as Izuku groans out in pain as her hand bleeds.

Todoroki coughs painfully, choking on the coldness of his own breath. _Why…?_ Todoroki scowls as he launches another icicle rush at the injured Izuku.

Izuku dodges the ice by sidestepping it. _The ice isn't coming as fast…_

Hastily, she prepares her hand, threatening Todoroki who had charged at her once again. Quickly, Todoroki blasts a quick ice from beneath the girl but Izuku manages to jump away as the ice explodes. The two swiftly regain their composure, threatening each other with battle stances.

"Should I stop it, Midnight?" Cementoss asks full of concern, "Midoriya-kun is probably thinking, 'Recovery Girl will heal me anyway,' and is being reckless. She's full of adrenaline right now, so she probably isn't feeling much pain…" As Cementoss continues, the two contestants relay back and forth with their attacks and taunts. "But with those injuries… they probably can't be fully healed in one go." Midnight watches on in silence. "Even if she wins, she might not be able to fight her next match."

In the commentator's box, Aizawa silently watches his two students, keeping a careful eye on his troublesome and reckless one. _Her power has gone down, but she's gained some control._

 _She isn't just fighting recklessly._ The bandaged teacher peers as the green-haired girl lunges at the white- and red-haired boy and dodges his ice attacks. _This is the best she can do to win at this point in time._

 _But man… Even if it can be healed, to be able to jump into intense pain like that requires a lot of resolve._ Aizawa's eyes narrow as he puzzles at Izuku's struggle. _What is stirring her up?_

Izuku continues to charge at Todoroki. Her arms broken arms are flailing along her every stride and everytime she gets too close, Todoroki sends a wave of ice at her. Izuku grunts as her hand twitches and One For All fills her thumb. _I can't make a fist…!_ Quickly, Izuku compromises, bringing her thumb into her cheek.

Todoroki's eyes widen, realizing what the girl is about to do.

"Smash…!" Izuku gurgles out as she flicks her thumb out using her cheek, sending a rush of One For All's force at Todoroki and the ice. The great burst of power pushes Todoroki back, shattering the onslaught of ice.

Hastily, Todoroki needs to create two ice walls behind him to break his momentum, smashing one of them before stopping at the other. "Why are you going so far?" The boy growls out as he shakily regains his posture.

"Because I want to live up to everyone's expectations…" Izuku answers causing Todoroki's breath to hitch. She continues to stagger forward with all the strength the can muster. "I want to be able to smile… and respond to them…"

All Might smiles, bright and assuring.

"To be a cool hero…" With emerald eyes staring forward with bright and clear determination, Izuku declares. "That's what I want to be!"

Todoroki's eyes are dilated, lost in his own frustration that he doesn't react to the approaching green-haired girl. Taking this opening, Izuku headbutts Todoroki's chest. "That's why…" The force of Izuku's headbutt causes Todoroki to skid back several feet as the green-haired girl screams. "Everyone is giving it their all!"

"There's no way I can know all of your circumstances or your resolve." Izuku staggers forward. Todoroki cannot help but watch the injured green-haired girl struggle on her own feet. "But for you to become number one without giving it your all, to completely reject your father…" Izuku screams at him. "Right now, I think you should stop screwing around!"

Those words strike at the very core of what is Todoroki Shouto. They pull out a nightmare—a memory of when he was five.

Shouto had been sobbing—coughing and sobbing. His throat burned like they were scraped by sandpaper. A menacing figure—big, strong, and scary—loomed over his small five-year-old form who was caving over the floor and wheezing. His breakfast was all over the wooden floor and his eyes are wide and tear-filled.

 _"Stand up!"_

The bits of splattered frost covering Todoroki's right side begin to spread. The icy cold hunting for whatever warmth they could overtake and turn into a frozen wasteland.

 _Shut up…_

Shouto had been crying into his mother's bosom. _"I don't wanna, Mom…"_ Young Shouto sobs, tears gliding down his cheeks _. "I… I…I don't want to become someone like Dad…"_ He desperately squeezes his mother's shirt as she comforts him with a hug. _"I don't want to become someone who bullied you, Mom!"_

 _"But you want to be a hero, don't you?"_ Shouto's mother's warm soothing hand would pet his head to comfort him as the young boy sobs into her shirt. At her words, Shouto lifts his head catching his mother's soft smile.

The girl's curly green hair floats in the air as she dashes forward. Her large emerald orbs full of determination.

 _"It's okay for **you** to be one."_

Todoroki's gray and turquoise eyes widen as Izuku winds back her fist, charging it with One For All.

 _"As long as you have a future you feel strongly about."_

"That's why… I will win!" Izuku declares before punching Todoroki's frozen-over stomach. "I will surpass you!"

Todoroki Shouto flies in the air from the harsh impact as time seemed to slow around him.

 _I…_

"I will reject… my old man's power…" Todoroki mutters in pain as he struggles to get back onto his feet.

Izuku clenches her teeth at those words. She was so frustrated—her classmate, a boy her age, was _suffering_ and yet he was too prideful to ask for help or to seek help. The boy—Todoroki Shouto—hates his own self. Izuku couldn't stand it.

"It's your power, isn't it?!" Frustrated, the girl screams.

At those words, Todoroki's breath hitches under his own clenched teeth as his mismatched eyes twitches and his hair flows in the small breeze.

 _"You don't have to be bound by your blood."_ Todoroki Shouto's mother's voice rings in his head. _"It's okay for you to become who you want."_

Todoroki Shouto's mismatched eyes waver, quivering around as something within him snaps—a lock and chain perhaps. The flames awaken.

As if a dam had been broken loose, Todoroki allows his fire to seep out—errupt out from him.

"Thi—This is?!" Present Mic screeches in bewilderment.

The awakened flame burst brings waves of heat throughout the arena, slapping the audience with a great heat wave. Uraraka squints her eyes, bringing her hands up defensively. "The fire is here…"

Next to the brunette, Iida cannot help but stare at the flaming boy with wide eyes. He could remember Todoroki's words from earlier as clear as day.

 _"In battle… I will never use my left."_

"He used it!" Iida comments in awe.

Meanwhile, with the staff, All Might stares at the field in amazement. _You made him use his left side…_ All Might focuses on his protégé who is facing the great flames. _Young Midoriya, don't tell me you're trying to save Young Todoroki…?_

"Even though you want to win…" Todoroki manages to mutter out. The words cause Izuku to concentrate on the white- and red-haired boy. "Damn it…" The flames from Todoroki's left side begin melting the frost-covered sections of his right side. "To help your enemy…" He almost laughs in bewilderment. "Which one of us is screwing around now?"

Izuku's lips part as her emerald orbs widen slightly.

"I want… to be a hero, too…!" Todoroki declares with one half of him covered in ice and the other covered in flames.

The green-haired girl watches her adversary as he melts off the last of his frostbite. Todoroki has so much life in him now—and Izuku could not help the giddy yet anxious feeling bubbling within her gut at the sight. Izuku smiles.

Todoroki Shouto smiles, exasperated, in return, his eyebrows furrowed deeply.

Meanwhile, a certain man was more than overjoyed by the sudden development. " **Shouto!** " Endeavor hollers as flame bursts from his face in his excitement.

"Huh?" Present Mic interjects at the sudden passion from the No. 2 Hero.

"Have you finally accepted yourself?!" Endeavor stalks towards the edge of the stands with a big smile on his face. "That's it! Good! It all starts from here for you!" Endeavor declares, "With my blood, you will surpass me… You will fulfill my desire!"

Despite his father's loud cheer, Shouto didn't even hear a single sound of it. Every noise beyond the battlefield—beyond Midoriya Izuku and him—fell silent to his ears.

"Endeavor-san suddenly shouts encouragement…?" Present Mic comments, befuddled. "Such a doting father."

"Wow…" Izuku cannot stop her amazement and awe at Todoroki's display of prowess.

"Why are you smiling?" Todoroki questions the green-haired girl, causing her smile to falter. "With those injuries… in this situation… you're crazy…" Todoroki huffs.

These words dawn on Izuku bringing her to give Todoroki a determined and focused expression.

"Don't blame me for what happens next," Todoroki warns before he stomps his right foot down, forcing out his ice alongside his flames on the left. Shouto's white and red locks flow in the air from the pressure of his two elemental powers.

Izuku shines her teeth with a smile as she steps forward with her left foot, building One For All inside. Her peridot green eyes shine lush and full of resolve.

"Midnight!" Seeing the surge of power from the two combatants, Cementoss hastily pushes out his cement. "If they keep going, it'll be bad—"

"Her body won't hold up!" Midnight, as well, quickly reacts, tearing her sleeve to release her Quirk.

The ice rises from the ground like a giant glacier as Todoroki sends the onslaught of ice at the green-haired girl. Izuku takes that moment to jump, leaping into the air and gliding right above the wave of ice as it spreads.

 _Try to get close…_

Izuku's teeth are clenched and her eyes are wide open, slightly bloodshot as she flies towards her opponent. She continues to accelerate as she hovers above the ice sculpture and slips away from the every so often attacking ice.

 _…and give him everything I've got!_

Todoroki clears away his frost, heating up his left side as he pushes out his flames. The heat of his fire swiftly melts away the ice around him.

 _"Come at me with your full power!"_

Todoroki gazes forward, concentrating on the approaching green-haired girl as he blasts flames around him, heating the atmosphere quickly. "Midoriya," The heat is bright on his palm as it grows hotter.

In the air, Izuku pulls her arm back, pushing One For All throughout her right arm during her flight.

Todoroki raises his heated left hand, aiming at the incoming Izuku. "Thank you."

Izuku swings her arm—bright with the crimson flow of One For All.

Several walls of cement hastily surface from the stage's ground just as the two humongous forces meet it. The cement walls shatter almost instantly upon impact and the debris are kicked into the air with the great pressures from the attacks accelerating them out of the stadium. The audience panic slightly at the powerful force which attacks them—the heavy gust storm of pressure which blows in their faces.

Everyone is silent as the dust cloud covers the stage, shrouding over the two competitors.

Knocked to the ground, Present Mic questions in bewilderment. "What was that just now…? What the heck is up with your class?"

"The air that had been cooled thoroughly was suddenly heated up and expanded." Aizawa cooly explains.

"That's what created this explosion…?" Present Mic jumps back into his seat as he screeches. "Just how hot was that?! Geez, I can't see a thing!" He complains as he squints at the cloudy stage. "Hey, who won the match?"

Midnight groans as she regains her footing, having been knocked to the floor by the explosion. Her breath hitches as the clouds of dust begin to clear. The audience all jolt, on the edge of their seats, as the dust clouds dissipate.

Izuku is slumped against the wall, her head tilted down as she begins to slide down. Her arms and one of her legs are broken and she is clearly battered as she drops to the ground.

"M-Midoriya-san is out of bounds…" Midnight stutters as she regains her composure.

Todoroki pants, wide-eyed as he stares at the collapsed figure of Midoriya. Half of his shirt had been burned off, revealing his muscled torso as steam rises from his left side.

"Todoroki-kun advances to the third round!"

* * *

 **Now that Midoriya vs. Todoroki is out of the way... I can get to the real fun Bakugo stuff... :3**

 **I am so excited for the next chapter! I'll be diving into stuff I just couldn't fit into this chapter! XD (Though I'm not sure if I will get to Bakugo vs. Todoroki or not...)**

 **Anyways, I know it wasn't much but there were some added scenes to this chapter!**

 **On another note, please send in ideas if you have any (or forever hold your peace in terms of spring-summer activities)!**

 **I hope you enjoyed the chapter!**


	23. Iida vs Todoroki

**Sorry, this took a while to get in! I've been busy with school work as of late! One of my classes has finals this Friday, so I'll be able to write a bit more in the free time I get from not having to deal with that class! Yay!**

 **Also, recently, I had a job interview... so I'll have to see how that works out, haha.**

 **Anyways! Here is chapter 23! I was at first planning to try to get Katsuki vs. Todoroki in here... but that didn't work out haha... it's already over 5k so I thought "yeah, if I continue it's going to end up being a 10k chapter so..." Yeah, I'm saving for that part of the emotional roller coaster for next time!**

 **Now, I hope you enjoy!**

* * *

Initially, Katsuki was at a loss.

The teenagers around him all panic slightly as they are baffled by the heavy impact from the explosion—the waves of pressure bursting out from it.

"What the heck is this?!" The purple-haired midget screams as he waves his arms in the air in panic. The only reason why Mineta had not been blown away was thanks to Shouji's tight grasp around his ankle, keeping him within the stands.

In the seat next to Katsuki, Kaminari raises his arm to help shield the dust and wind from his face as he hollers. "Man, seriously?!"

"What happened?" Yaoyorozu questions, raising her voice so that the others could hear it over the gusts.

The gathering dust from the wind explodes above the stadium as the pressure diminishes and the storm fades.

Katsuki's lips are parted and dry. His crimson eyes could not avert from the shrouded, silent battlefield. His blood runs cold as the dust clouds begin to clear, revealing the horrid sight.

Izuku is slumped against the wall, most likely having been blown there by the explosion's backlash. Her left arm and leg were all purple—clearly bruised and broken. On the other side, her right arm is just as battered but without the evident purple engulfing it. Instead, it is her right hand which is in worse shape—a deep fuschia. What seems to be steam escapes Izuku's body—most likely an after effect of being hit by a humongous amount of heat—as she slides down the burned wall. Her hair tie had either been broken, blown away, or destroyed as her curly mop of green locks raggedly cover her face, the tips of her messy hair touching her shoulders.

Katsuki feels numb.

The ash blonde teen's sole focus is on Izuku and her battered form. His heart drops as he sees the initial slump and a disgusting pool builds in his gut when he sees her fall—too far away to hear the impact.

The suffocation Katsuki feels from the image of Izuku's injured and broken form which lays on the ground is almost as bad as the one he got during their first battle trial—when he had watched Izuku fall to the floor, injured and broken.

"M-Midoriya-san is out of bounds…" Midnight stutters as she regains her composure before lashing out her whip to announce. "Todoroki-kun advances to the third round!"

 _Todoroki Shouto._

The half-white- and half-red-haired boy is panting in the middle of the field, gawking at the fallen Izuku.

Katsuki's blood boils.

The audience roar in response—but the sound fades into the background in Katsuki's ears. He is still focused on Todoroki who continues to gawk as the broken Izuku gets transported out of the stage by the infirmary-transport robots.

Then, he hears _them_.

"Midoriya was eliminated in the quarterfinals, huh?"

 _Yeah, she did—just as I had thought._

"She egged the other guy on only to be defeated…"

 _She is an idiot._

"You mean she didn't have a plan? She was just provoking him?"

 _'didn't have a plan'? Of course, she had a plan—she's Deku, after all._

"Did she want to beat Todoroki, or lose to him?"

 _Neither._

"Either way, that was some crazy power…"

 _Not that she can control it._

"But she can't be a pro-hero if she's injured every time she attacks."

 _Obviously._

"She attacked despite that, though, wasn't Todoroki too rough on the girl?"

 _Deku has always been a stubborn idiot—especially in cases like this._

"Yeah, I mean, he already knows that he is stronger than her."

 _Hmph._

"Shh! Don't let Eraserhead hear you or he'll start berating us again."

 _You'd deserve it too._

"Ahh—yeah… Well, it really shows how brave she is if she would fight head-on against a guy like him."

 _Well, that's one way to describe her idiocy._

"Yeah, she's got spirit, that's for sure."

 _True._

"I thought she was an interesting kid until the cavalry battle, though…"

Katsuki throat rumbles as he scowls. _You don't understand anything—_

 _"Are you all right?"_ A small hand is extended out to him as glistening emeralds stare into his soul.

"I know Midoriya is strong and all," Kaminari, who is beside Katsuki, questions. "But was there a need for Todoroki to go _that_ far?"

"Yeah," Sero scrunches his eyebrows. "Especially after Bakugou's fight…"

Katsuki was angry.

Footsteps echo through the dark tunnel as a young white- and red-haired boy strides through it. The sound stops as he stops.

" _You're in the way._ " Todoroki Shouto blankly stares at the flaming hero in front of him, blocking his path. Endeavor smiles at his son. "You're not going to say that? You need to control your left side. You're just letting it all out, and it's dangerous." He opens his arms, welcoming his son. "But you have abandoned your childish tantrum and finally become a perfect upgrade of me." Endeavor extends his hand to Shouto, "After you graduate, come work for me. I'll lead you down the path of the mighty."

"There's no way I can abandon anything," Shouto responds, no rage present in his voice—only a mild hint of confusion beneath the surface of calmness. The white- and red-haired boy lifts his left hand up to look at it with downcast mismatched eyes. "It's not something that can be so easily reversed."

Shouto could still feel _it_ —the heat. He was still lost in the sensation of his earlier attack. Heat lingers in his palm, strangely.

"It's just… back then…" Shouto gradually clasps his hands. "For that one moment…" The words slip from his tongue but Shouto pays no real mind to it—his focus is too centered on the lingering sensations: the tingling feeling beneath his skin. "… I forgot about you."

At those words, Endeavor's breath hitches as his turquoise eyes dilate.

"Whether that is a good thing or a bad thing…" Todoroki continues his stroll, walking around his father. "Whether it is correct or not…" His gray and turquoise eyes are set for the path in front of him. "I need to think about it."

Meanwhile, in the infirmary, Midoriya Izuku lays on the bed, wincing in pain. She is shirtless—only wearing her sports bra, though it was covered by her arms which are being held together by a large cast, folded right below her chest so they wouldn't shift. Her bruised, fuschia left leg is molded straight with a brace.

"The bones in your right arm were shattered…" Recovery Girl informs in dismay, "It'll never be the same as it was before." At the news, All Might flinches, his breath hitching as Izuku continues to whimper in the background. "I need to remove the pieces of bone to make sure they don't stay in your joints." Recovery Girl elaborates, "I'll heal you after that."

The old woman sighs, turning to look at the young girl laying in the bed. "To push and light a fire under a child who would destroy her body this much for what she yearns for…" She looks up at her lanky blonde friend as she states. "I don't like it. You're going too far. You," Recovery Girl lectures, "And this girl." Her tone becomes stern. "You can't praise her for this."

All Might frowns, his eyes squinting as if he were furrowing his nonexistent brows. The blonde man's electric blue eyes linger dejectedly on his student and her injured form. He is snapped out of this state of grief only when, abruptly, the door behind him slams open.

"Midoriya-kun!"

"Deku-chan!"

"Izuku-chan!"

"Midoriya!"

All Might jumps, spitting out blood at the concerned greetings of four of his students as they tumble into the makeshift infirmary. Calming down, All Might grasps his chest, over his heart, as he releases a relieved sigh. "That surprised me…"

"Are you okay?! Oh," Uraraka is the first to rush forward to the injured green-haired girl, only for her to pause at the sight of the lanky and skeletal-like blonde man standing beside Izuku's bed. "Nice to meet you…"

Awkwardly, the shriveled No. 1 Hero raises a hand up for a slight wave, responding. "Yeah…"

"You're all so noisy." Recovery Girl sighs at the group of students who had barged into the infirmary.

Hearing the voices of her friends, Izuku struggles to open her eyes. "Everyone…" The battered-up girl croaks, "What about the next match?"

"Since there was a lot of damage to the stage, they're taking a break to repair it." Iida quickly explains while making hand gestures to go along with his explanation.

Mineta interjects with a pale face and dilated eyes. "That match earlier was scary, Midoriya…" His hand shakes as he points at the injured green-haired girl on the bed with his voice trembling. "What pro is gonna want that?"

Asui's tongue swiftly lashes out at the short purple-haired boy. "I don't like your style of rubbing salt into her wound."

As she retracts her tongue, Mineta turns to the frog girl. "But it's true!"

Unable to watch her patient be disturbed any longer, Recovery Girl marches over to the students as she waves her hands. "Be quiet, now! I know you're worried, but I've got to do surgery now." She manages to push the four students towards the door, only for them to freeze up at her words.

"Surgery?!" The four bellow, astonished and bewildered.

Ignoring the children's concern and fright over the information, Recovery Girl continues to push the four students out of the room. "Go on now, get out of here."

"B-But—" Uraraka stutters.

"Surgery is a big deal, isn't it?!" Mineta screeches.

"Will her injuries be completely healed?" Iida inquires.

"Don't worry about that." The older woman huffs, annoyed. "Just leave it to me!"

All Might watches as Recovery Girl manages to force Uraraka, Iida, Mineta, and Asui out of the room, with Asui exiting with a faint concerned croak. "Ribbit…"

From the bed, Izuku's focus is on the skinny yet lanky man standing beside her rather than her friends who were shoved out of the room. Her large jades squint painfully, feeling heavy as she leans back into the fluffy pillow under her head. Her dirty viridian locks tickle her neck, uncomfortably as the ache in her jaw pulses. A low mutter escapes her lips. "I'm sorry…"

"Hmm?" All Might turns to his disciple with a questioning hum.

"I couldn't do what you asked…" Izuku can feel her eyes becoming heavier, letting them close for a moment as the edges of her eyelids begin to dampen.

 _"I want you to tell the world 'I am here!'"_

"If only I hadn't said anything…" Izuku's eyebrows furrow as she squints her eyes, trying to will away the oncoming tears. "It's because I said that to Todoroki-kun… that I…" Her breath hitches as something heavy builds in the back of her throat. A stomach-twisting feeling bubbles deep within her gut and stretches up to tug at her lungs and heart, causing her to suck in a quick breath. She chokes.

All Might's bright cyan eyes soften at his protégé. "You were trying to get him to realize something…"

Izuku grinds her teeth together. The pressure sends another wave of pain through her jaw nerves, but the girl ignores it. She preferred the uncomfortable feeling over the numbness that has spread all over. "It's true… Todoroki-kun looked so sad…" She mutters out as images of Todoroki melting his own ice after his match with Sero flash in her mind. "… that I meddled when I didn't need to…"

It was a sad sight—Todoroki crushing his own potential. Izuku could describe the swirl in her gut as sadness and pity for the other teen as she watches him hate his own self.

"But that's not it."

Yet, at the same time, there was another emotion that fit the tug at her heart and gurgle of her gut.

"More importantly, back then, I was just…" Izuku's mouth quivers as she squeezes her eyes shut uncomfortably as she forces herself to will away the oncoming tears. "… frustrated."

 _Ahh… it's frustration…_ Izuku couldn't help the guilt which pulls on her spirit at her realization. She had been frustrated at Todoroki. He was such a strong person, gifted and talented and intelligent. Yet the red- and white-haired boy seemed to lose sight of all of this due to his own hatred towards, not only his father but himself as well. Seeing someone like him just throw his own self away like that didn't sit right with Izuku—not when she had no qualifications to be a hero or All Might's successor and he has every qualification to be the ultimate hero.

"I couldn't see in front of or around me…" Izuku confesses, painfully with a silent sob. "I'm sorry…"

All Might didn't quite know what to say to his pupil. The green-haired girl holds an upset expression as she grits her teeth and scrunches her eyes, pushing back the tears that he knows is there. However, he is the No. 1 Hero – the Symbol of Peace – and, most importantly, this girl's teacher—he had to say _something_.

"It's true that it is a regrettable result." The words flow from All Might's mouth. "Saying what you did was foolish won't change that." His lips fall into a small frown. "But you know, meddling when you don't need to…" His cyan eyes soften. "… is the essence of being a hero."

Izuku grinds her teeth together at those words, feeling the tears begin to breach the gates of her squeezed-shut eyes.

Recovery Girl sighs at her colleague's words. She had known that the soft-hearted man would be unable to deliver harsh words to his pupil—especially with how much said pupil admires him.

The stadium roars with cheer as the matches continue.

The moment Iida and Shiozaki's match begins, the vine-haired girl clasps her hands together as if in prayer. In an instant, she springs her vine-like hair forward, lunging at Iida who stretches at the other end of the battlefield.

Iida glares at the incoming vines as he preps his engines. "Recipro…" He chants as his calf engines begin to heat up. "Burst!" With a shout, Iida's engine explodes, rushing Iida forward so fast that the vines were unable to touch him. Then, in a mere second, Iida is behind Shiozaki.

The vine-haired girl's brain could not even process the sudden situation change until she is being swiftly pushed out of bounds. Iida's grip on her shoulders is tight enough as to not lose its grasp but not tight enough to hurt the girl. A startled shriek hisses from Shiozaki's throat and her eyes are squeezed shut as the wind pounds against her face from the speed.

Shiozaki gasps the moment the wind fades, but it is too late. She slides across the white boundary line of the battlefield.

Surprised by the quick ending, Midnight blinks for a moment. "Shiozaki-san, out of bounds!" Midnight announces with a snap from her whip. "Iida-kun wins!"

Similar to this match, the next match also ends quite quickly.

"Dark Shadow!" Tokoyami shouts as he summons his Quirk from his abdomen.

"Got it!" Dark Shadow calls out in response as it charges towards their pink opponent.

Ashido backs away, startled at first—however, she quickly picks herself up. She pools her acid into her hand before she tosses it at Dark Shadow. Despite her efforts, though, Dark Shadow dodges the acid balls with ease.

Dark Shadow laughs hysterically. It lunges for the pink-haired girl, shoving her away and towards the boundary line. Quickly, Ashido tries to lift the heel of her feet in order to stop herself from sliding. This causes an imbalance, however, which leads to Ashido falling onto her butt outside of the boundary line.

"Ashido-san is out of bounds!" Midnight exclaims, whipping her whip from the fallen Ashido to the standing upright Tokoyami. "Tokoyami-kun wins!"

As the arena echoes in cheer, in class A's stand, Mineta cannot help but shake. "He won in an instant, too?" He sighs.

"Tokoyami-chan's Dark Shadow is amazing." Asui praises in awe as she stares at Tokoyami leaving the stage. Her eyes then catch the rather depressed brunette in front of her, causing her to release a questioning croak. "Ribbit?" Asui leans forward to talk to Uraraka who sits in front of her. "Are you worried about Izuku-chan?"

Uraraka couldn't really concentrate on the last two matches. Her mind was still with her best friend who is in the infirmary. Worry bubbles uncomfortably in her stomach, distracting her from cheering on her classmates. "She said she had to do surgery…"

"Recovery Girl is taking care of it, so you've got nothing to worry about!" Mineta exclaims, trying to reassure the worried brunette.

"That's right," Asui affirms.

Uraraka turns her head to look at her two friends. She knows that she isn't the only one who is worried—the others were worried as well. So she shouldn't let herself dampen the festive mood. Uraraka gives them a small smile, in an effort to assure her friends that she was fine. "Yeah."

Meanwhile, Recovery Girl kisses Izuku's leg in order to heal it enough for the girl to walk on her own. Izuku pants, exhausted from not only her previous match and the surgery but also having to use her stamina in order to heal her legs. At that moment, she is glad that she did stamina training prior to the festival or else she probably wouldn't have had enough energy to have her legs healed by Recovery Girl's Quirk.

"I've healed you enough to allow you to walk for now." Recovery Girl explains.

Izuku's eyes are dilated and a bit dazed as she pants out. "Thank you very much…" Her emerald orbs slide from her legs to her right hand, gasping at the sight of it.

Izuku's right hand was back together, however, not without a price. It was slightly deformed but mostly looked the same beyond the two scars which cut through the middle of the back of her hand.

"That's what you get for overusing it so much in a short period of time." Recovery Girl sighs exasperatedly. "You should think of that crooked right hand as a warning." The old woman begins to put away her tools as All Might slides back into the room. "In addition, I will not heal injuries like this anymore."

At the statement, both Izuku and All Might jolt and gasp.

Recovery Girl turns to the two and looks straight at the tall blonde man. "You must find a way for her to use her power in a way that is not so self-destructive."

Izuku's jade orbs widen at this order. _A way to use my power in a way that isn't self-destructive…!_

Afterward, Izuku and All Might were kicked out of Recovery Girl's infirmary, with the older woman telling All Might to walk the green-haired girl back to the stands.

"A different way, huh…?" All Might ponders with a hand on his chin.

Izuku limps down the hallway with All Might walking behind her. Her P.E. uniform's shirt hangs on her shoulder, covering her back as her front is covered in bandages and a cast on her right arm. She stops in her step. "All Might."

"Hmm?" All Might stops along with the girl and returns a questioning hum in response.

"You originally became a teacher at U.A. to find a successor, right?" Izuku inquires.

"Yeah," The tall blonde answers.

"Putting everything I had into the U.A. sports festival," The green-haired girl's peridot orbs are large and wide as she recalls all the passion and emotions which flowed from each battle she has seen and been in during the sports festival thus far. "I could physically feel everyone's strong emotions of not wanting to give in." Her mouth twists as her eyes narrow and her eyebrows furrow. "So I…"

"…think that someone else should be my successor?" All Might finishes the girl's sentence, knowing all too well by now how the girl tends to think.

Though she, herself, was thinking that—hearing All Might say it causes something to ripple within Izuku's very being. It was as if her heart was drowned by the tears that were her sadness and disappointment. However, she could not refute what he had said. "Yes." She slumps forward slightly.

If All Might truly wishes to have another be his successor, Izuku would understand. After all, she had originally been Quirkless and useless. She wasn't like the others who had so much experience. She wasn't as strong and talented as they are.

All Might stares at his depressed student. The green-haired girl clearly believes that she was easily replaceable. "It's true that this place is filled with wonderful potential heroes." All Might begins before he turns away from the girl. "One For All is the crystallization of power." He elaborates, "For those who have Quirks, for example, if Young Todoroki were to inherit it, then with the super strength on top of his Half-Cold, Half-Hot, he would probably become a superhero."

Izuku's mouth twists. _I know…_ If she faces the facts, Todoroki was much better than her—a greater choice than a Quirkless girl like herself. Someone strong and intelligent—someone like Todoroki or Katsuki—would be a much better choice as a successor than her. She knew this—

"Then—"

—but she hadn't wanted to **accept** it.

"But you know," All Might cuts the green-haired girl off. "I was Quirkless, too."

Izuku freezes up at those words. _All Might… was Quirkless… too…?_ Her emerald eyes widen, dilating, as she releases a gasp. Dumbfounded, Izuku twists around to face her master and idol with an awestruck gape. "Quirkles…? You were…?"

All Might is smiling as he points a thumb to himself. "I wasn't as rare as for your generation, but it was still uncommon." He explains. "My mater had a Quirk, but even so, my master believed in me and gave One For All to me and raised me to become a hero."

Izuku is at a loss for a moment from all this new information. "You never told me tha—"

"Because you never asked." All Might chuckles before he pulls out another thumb up. "Even though, I thought you would."

In all honesty, Izuku had been too occupied with the thought of mastering One For All to give it as much thought—she had been too caught up in the moment. Internally, Izuku scolds herself to be more conscious of her surroundings as she continues to inquire, still a bit too awestruck to process everything. "All Might… you were Quirkless, too…?"

"Yeah!" All Might affirms. He then looks at his pupil with soft cyan eyes. "At first, I saw the old me in you. But you have gone beyond what I imagined, time and time again." He smiles, "There is something that only you can draw out. I believe that."

Izuku can only stare up at All Might's clear cyan orbs with her large emeralds as they glisten. Her breath hitches several times like silent sobs as she lowers her head and squeezes her eyes shut. Her shut eyes and eyebrows quiver as her mouth twists in a small frown. "I'm sorry…"

"Anyway, the sports festival isn't over yet, kid!" All Might laughs, fondly. "Make sure you watch until the end!"

"Yes!" Izuku nods as she blinks away the oncoming tears.

Izuku registers the roaring cheers before her vision is able to adjust to the sudden burst of brightness. She squints her eyes in an effort to adapt to the new lighting. Once the burning sensation leaves her, she gradually opens her eyes as she walks towards the railing. She peers down, watching as an ash blonde teen lunges at a boy with spiky red hair with another explosion.

"Kirishima-kun and Kacchan…" Izuku mutters before she glances up at the scoreboard. "Which means…"

Despite the distance, due to the large size of the monitor, she is able to see the three golden lines which stretch up to another bracket and two shorter golden lines in their own bracket.

"Iida-kun and Tokoyami-kun have advanced to the next round." The bandaged girl sighs, disappointed. "Aw, I knew it…" Her lips stretch into a thin line and she squeezes her eyes shut in frustration as she laments. _I wish I could've seen it._

"Bakugou's having a hard time fighting back against Kirishima's fierce attack!" Present Mic narrates as he rallies the crowd.

This draws Izuku's attention as she steps down the stairs into the stands designated for class A. She freezes midstep to concentrate on the battlefield, watching as Katsuki and Kirishima brawl. Kirishima constantly sends punch after punch in Katsuki's direction, pushing back the spiky-haired blonde. Katsuki cautiously continues to dodge the barrage of hardened punches with his crimson orbs dilated in focus. The cut on his red cheek clots and stings with its exposure to the open air.

 _That Kacchan is on the defensive?_ Izuku's large emerald eyes widen at the scene. She tucks her head slightly as her eyebrows furrow in concentration and she begins to mutter out in analysis. "Kirishima-kun's Quirk is simple but that's what makes it strong."

"Midoriya-kun!" The familiar sound of Iida's voice snaps Izuku from her thoughts, causing the injured girl to turn around to see him as he enters the stands. "I see your surgery went well." Iida congratulates her with a smile. "I'm glad."

"Yeah, thanks." Izuku smiles as Iida joins her at the railing. "And congrats, Iida-kun."

"I made it to the semifinals." Iida begins and Izuku turns to him as he speaks. "I'm going to use your fight against Todoroki-kun and learn from it."

"Okay." Izuku nods, her expression contorting. _Todoroki-kun…_

The green-haired girl pushes the thoughts to the back of her head. Worrying about it now wouldn't help in any way and now she was with Iida. Izuku turns to Iida to inquire, "Is your big brother, Ingenium, watching your progress, too?"

"I called him earlier, but he was working," Iida admits.

"Oh, so you called him." Izuku comments, slightly dejected to hear that Iida had been unable to get in contact with his brother.

"But I think that was for the best." Iida smiles as he reassures his friend. "Now that I've made it this far, I need to be able to tell him I'm number one."

At hearing his explanation, Izuku smiles, happy to see her friend optimistic.

"Wahhh!" Present Mic screeches, startling both Izuku and Iida. "Bakugo counters again!" The two class A students' attention instantly shift to the battlefield. Kirishima groans, his teeth clenched as he grasps the sides of his burnt off p.e. uniform. "What's this?! Unlike before, it's working?!"

Smoke evaporates from Kirishima's red, blistered side as his ash blonde opponent smirks. "You've been straining to keep your whole body rock-hard this whole time, right?" Katsuki analyzes out loud and Kirishima responds to the statements with dilated scarlet eyes and a jagged scowl. "If you attack quickly in that state, sooner or later, it'll start coming apart!" Katsuki shouts as he throws his hands forward, blasting out a large explosion at Kirishima.

Of course, Kirishima promptly blocks the explosion with hardened arms blocking his face. However, the smoke from the explosion blocks his vision, making him late in reacting to Katsuki's incoming lunge. Kirishima's crimson orbs dilate as he realizes just what the ash blonde teen is about to do.

With a shout, Katsuki barrages Kirishima with an onslaught of explosions. Kirishima tries to hold strong with his hardened skin even when facing the great brightness of the explosions blinding him throughout the great attack. Kirishima can feel his clothes tear all over the place with every attack, withering away under the force of Katsuki's explosions. "You little—" Kirishima grunts.

"The finishing move…" Katsuki clenches his teeth as he ducks low, using a wide swinging motion to build up momentum before he launches one last explosion at Kirishima. "Die…!" Kirishima begins to fall, his body charred from all the explosions. Katsuki smirks, "Well, I understand why you wouldn't want a drawn-out match with me, though."

"Kirishima-kun is immobilized!" Midnight announces, "Bakugo-kun wins!"

"With that vicious carpet-bombing, Bakugo advances to the third round!" Present Mic announces has cheers continue to roar through the stadium. "And that completes the final four!"

"All right. I'm off!" Iida twirls around and announces to his friend before he leaves to get ready for his upcoming match.

Izuku watches as Iida leaves for a moment before she begins to head to the stands where his class was watching from. Upon her arrival, she is immediately greeted by Uraraka. "Deku-chan!"

"Izuku-chan, your surgery went well?" Asui asks as Izuku wobbles down the steps to the row where Uraraka is sitting in.

"Yeah." Izuku smiles and nods to the frog-like girl as she limps to the seat next to Uraraka. "She healed me enough to walk."

"Shouldn't you be resting…?" Uraraka questions her friend in concern.

The curly haired girl plops down in her seat next to the brunette. Her emerald eyes are focused on the stage in determination with her eyebrows furrowed showing her seriousness as she explains. "I want to properly watch…" Uraraka gasps at her friend's expression. "…the efforts of everyone who wants to become a hero."

At those words, Uraraka understood that Izuku seemed to have resolved something within herself—something that had been wavering. Also growing serious, Uraraka turns her attention to the field, readying to watch Iida's fight.

"With both of them from hero families, it's a battle of the elites!" Present Mic introduces the next match as the torches on the edges of the stage burst up in flames and the competitors walk onto the battlefield. "From the hero course, it's Iida Tenya!" Iida stares at Todoroki with determined indigo orbs. "Versus—" Todoroki stands, looking serious as well as he stares back with his heterochromatic eyes. "Also from the hero course, Todoroki Shouto!"

 _I can't negate the attacks like Midoriya-kun did. If he can use his flames now, then he has more options._ Iida's indigo eyes narrow on Todoroki. _In that case…_

"Start!"

Once Present Mic calls for the match to begin, Todoroki instantly sends a wave of ice at Iida. However, Iida is too quick, and he dodges the ice with his speed, running around the ice towards Todoroki. Seeing the other boy's swift shift in direction, Todoroki leans down to send an ice wave where Iida had intended to go. Iida halts midstep and pivots off his left foot to dodge and, now, both sides to him are blocked off by the red- and white-haired boy's ice.

Iida has his left knee on the cool cement of the battlefield as he leans on his right foot. Todoroki promptly responds by sending an onslaught of ice at Iida and the fast-approaching ice nears Iida at rapid speed.

"Todoroki is going in for the win right away!" Present Mic screeches.

Iida waits, watching as the ice comes closer and closer to him, carefully timing himself. Then, as the ice reaches about a foot away from him, he jumps.

"Wow!" Uraraka cheers, her large chocolate eyes sparkling as Iida flies over the ice. Bubbles pop in her stomach in anticipation as she can feel the adrenaline pumping through her—sympathizing with her friend on the field as he acts. "A standing long jump!"

Todoroki clicks his tongue as he stares at Iida falling towards him, knowing just what was coming.

"Recipro…" Iida twists his body slightly as his engines begin heating up. "…burst!" Flames burst from his calve engines as Iida swings his leg at Todoroki. The red- and white-haired boy manages to dodge, falling forward to dodge the first kick. This initial dodge, however, made him vulnerable to the next kick. With little time lag, Iida powers his other calve engine and kicks Todoroki's head into the ground.

"A direct hit!" Present Mic screams.

The impact is heavy, causing Todoroki to gurgle out his breath. Despite this, Todoroki does his best to recover quickly. He uses a hand to frost over the floor as he tries to regain balance, hoping to grab Iida's foot in it as well.

Iida does not get stuck in the ice, though. Instead, the bluenette grabs the back of Todoroki's shirt and, in an instant, he is dashing for the boundary line with Todoroki in tow. _Eight seconds left! I can do it!_ He can see the nearing boundary in his sights—he is close. _I'll throw him out of bounds like thi—_

 **Crack.**

Iida's indigo eyes dilate as his jaw falls open and he turns his head slightly to look at the source of the sound. He gasps, "My muffler's plugged…?!" The engines protruding from his left calf are covered in ice as it coughs out dark smoke. "When did that happen?!"

Todoroki manages to get his feet on the floor, his right foot kneeling as ice begins to crawl from his toes. He freezes over the floor and his ice crawls over to Iida as he freezes Iida's body from his left wrist. "During the kick…" The white- and red-haired boy answers as his two freezing attempts meet at Iida's waist and climb up to the taller boy's neck. "Since I was only showing attacks with range, you forgot that I co little tricks like this, too, didn't you?"

Iida grunts from within the ice prison as Todoroki stands up, rubbing his head. "I was trying to be careful of your Recipro, though." He rubs the bump on his head from the earlier kick Iida had managed to land, trying to ease the pain. "But I still couldn't dodge it."

"Iida-kun is immobilized!" Midnight snaps her whip. "Todoroki-kun wins!"

"Todoroki advances to the finals without showing his flames!" Present Mic announces in the background as Todoroki stares at his left hand. He still was lost—he hadn't had the time to think things through yet.

From the stands, Uraraka and Midoriya both sadly stare at their friend stuck in the ice. He had been defeated despite his determination and both could only sympathize with the boy for now as they understood that, more than them, Iida was the one most frustrated.

Iida squeezes his eyes as he leans back, his body still trapped within the cold ice. He grits his teeth as a low sob escapes his throat. "Nii-san…!"

* * *

 **How was it? I hope you enjoyed all the Katsuki thoughts! Plus there were more in-depth on what Izuku was feeling during this time that wasn't in so much detail in the anime/manga.**

 **Anyways, next up will (probably) have Todoroki vs. Bakugo! So stay tuned for that!**

 **I hope you all enjoyed this chapter!**

 **Please leave a review before you leave!**


	24. Bakugo vs Todoroki

**FINALLY, HERE IT IS! THE FINALE OF THE UA SPORTS FESTIVAL ARC!**

 **Man, I am just as happy as the rest of you! Here comes the next line of filler chapters too before internships!**

 **Also, my summer semester is finally coming to a close! Next week is finals! Woohoo!**

 **I need to really get an A in my chem class so uhhh I probably won't be able to write the next chapter super fast. But I'll try to get it done as soon as I can! (because I'm super excited for some of the fillers that I've been making for a while now.)**

 **Anyways, if you have any filler suggestions I'm all ears still!**

 **Now, I hope you enjoy the chapter!**

* * *

Katsuki's eyebrow twitches in annoyance as the shadow-like figure charges at him once again.

"Match two of the Semifinals! Bakugo versus Tokoyami!" The crowd roars at the intense match as Present Mic screeches into the speaker. "Bakugo's rush is unstoppable!"

The ash blonde teen dashes toward the shadow as he growls. "That thing is so annoying!" He lunges at the dark shadow with another bright burst of an explosion. However, once again, it is blocked by Tokoyami's Quirk.

"That viciousness…" The teen with a dark bird head grunts. Tokoyami could feel the brightness of the explosive boy's explosions getting to his Dark Shadow, weakening it with every blow.

Katsuki continues to deliver a barrage of explosions at the Dark Shadow. His crimson orbs focus on the creature as he searches for an opening. In the background, he can hear Present Mic narrating the fight, but he pays no mind to it, allowing the words to flow through an ear and linger for a bit before it flows out the other. His focus is on Tokoyami—his opponent—the one he needs to defeat.

 _Birdbrain has been defending this whole match._

 _Even if I am attacking and leaving barely any windows for him to get an attack in, there were opportunities he could've exploited during my attacks._ Katsuki continues to roar as he slams explosion after explosion at Tokoyami's Dark Shadow. His crimson orbs carefully focus on the Shadow's recoil from the explosions.

 _Not only that…_ Scarlet eyes lock onto the slight tears brimming the shadow's golden, glowing eyes. _The shitty bird's shadow Quirk is acting strangely…_

 _It's as if…_

Katsuki launches another bright explosion, watching as the shadow tears up more and Tokoyami backs away once again.

 _…_ _the light is… hurting it…!_

There is a knowing gleam that causes Katsuki's rubies to shine scarlet. The ash blonde teen sprints towards his opponent as Tokoyami tries to flee once again by backing away. Eyebrows furrowing, Katsuki jumps into the air, shooting a quick explosion to propel him towards the dark bird-faced boy.

 _That's it—_

Dark Shadow rises up, extending from Tokoyami to meet Katsuki in midair as the ash blonde boy swings another explosion at the creature.

 _—_ _that's the bird fucker's fucking weaknes—_

Katsuki is hovering right above the shadow creature, seemingly floating into a handstand when he hears Tokoyami shout from below. "Grab him, Dark Shadow!"

Anticipating, the shadow's lunge, Katsuki ignites a smaller explosion to propel him up and over the dark bird-face teen. As he flies behind Tokoyami, Katsuki flips himself in midair so he is facing his opponent and lands on his feet. His arms extend out as Tokoyami's Dark Shadow returns to attack him.

Katsuki's crimson eyes narrow as his arms twitch in their effort to gather his sweat into his hands, causing them to crackle brightly.

 _—_ _it's light!_

"Stun… Grenade…!" Katsuki snarls out as his sweat ignites into a bright flash which engulfs both him and his opponent.

Then, the light is covered by smoke—but, for Katsuki, who had grown up with both smoke and light, this did not deter him. The ash blonde teen swiftly lunges at the disoriented Tokoyami, grabbing the boy by the beak as he pushes him onto the cement floor.

Seeing Tokoyami's clearly reluctant resignation in his crimson eyes made Katsuki's wide smirk grow larger.

"Did you know Dark Shadow's weakness?" Tokoyami questions as he tries to look anywhere besides the bright flashes of miniature explosions being emitted from Katsuki's hand.

"I figured it out after attacking over and over, moron." Katsuki explains as he stands above Tokoyami. "Well, it was a bad match-up. I feel bad for you."

 _I win._

"Checkmate." Katsuki smirks.

Tokoyami squeezes his eyes shut; there are furrows in his bros as he grits his teeth. He reluctantly mutters, "I give up."

Once Tokoyami admits defeat, Katsuki releases his grasp on the boy and stands up, giving his classmate space to get back onto his feet as he listens to the umpire's call. "Tokoyami-kun surrender!" Midnight snaps her whip, drawing attention to herself as she announces. "Bakugo-kun wins!"

Katsuki rubs his forearms, massaging his sweat glands as he turns to look at the audience stands. The first thing his ruby orbs land on is a mop of curly green—Izuku. She is sitting next to her brunette friend with her arms and torso bandaged up and her p.e. uniform hanging on her shoulders. He can see the hand in her cast twitching slightly as if she were itching to write. _The nerd still wants to write in her stupid notebooks even when she is injured—the idiot._

"With this, the final match will be between Todoroki and Bakugo!" Present Mic announces, inserting a certain name into Katsuki's mind.

 _Todoroki._

Instantly, the annoying finger bubbles up again from within Katsuki's blood, reaching the pores of his skin. His attention shifts to the white- and red-haired boy, prompting the ash blonde to scan the audience for the other teen. His crimson eyes narrow into a glare when his vision lands on the red- and white-haired boy. A growl almost gurgles from his throat as their eyes meet. His crimson orbs battle the other's indifferent gray and turquoise orbs.

 _You're next._

"It's too bad about Tokoyami-kun…" Uraraka comments, dejectedly. She had been cheering on Tokoyami especially since they had both been on the same team during the cavalry battle—though it did help that it was Bakugo who was his opponent.

The brunette glances over to her green-haired friend, seeing that Izuku is staring at the battlefield rather blankly. Uraraka is a bit conflicted. She doesHowever, Izuku does respond with a nod and a small grunt. "Yeah…"

The two girls overhear the boys' conversation behind them with Sero starting. "I thought Tokoyami would win."

"I guess this means he isn't invincible," Kaminari replies with a certain sparkle of hope.

Kirishima rubs his nose. "So light is his weakness, huh? I see… Bakugo likes to go after stuff like that…"

Izuku looks up at the stadium's monitor, looking at the display of Todoroki and Katsuki on the screen. It was actually quite strange, but the two had never had to battle against one another during hero foundational studies. In addition, Izuku couldn't put a clear decision on just who would win in a match between the two. "I wonder what'll happen in a match between those two…"

"We'll have to watch carefully and get our revenge next time." Iida's voice cuts through the air as he walks down the aisle towards the two girls.

"Iida-kun!" Both Uraraka and Izuku respond to their friend as he walks towards them. He pauses in front of their row and gives the two a smile, causing them to return a smile to him. They are then shocked when Iida begins to vibrate all of a sudden. Both of them scream. "Whoa! What is that?!"

Iida, while vibrating in place, reaches into his pant's pocket as he explains in a robotic voice. "My phone."

"His phone, huh?" Upon hearing that explanation, both girls exhale breaths of relief as Iida takes out his phone.

Iida glances down at the caller ID on his phone's screen, since he had missed the earlier call when taking his phone out of his pocket. _Mother?_ The bluenette arches an eyebrow, finding it strange for his mother to call him at such a time. However, he could not neglect the duties of a son to his mother. He turns to his two friends who are waiting for him to take a seat with them and he smiles apologetically to them. "Sorry, I have to take this."

"It's okay," Midoriya gives the boy a reassuring nod.

Uraraka nods her head enthusiastically and pats the seat next to her. "We have a seat for you when you come back!"

At the display, Iida chuckles. "Thank you," He then excuses himself from his friends and classmates, making his way to the hall in order to call back his mother.

"Hello?" The moment there is sound on the other end, Iida begins. "Regretfully, I lost, Mother. I was weak…"

"No, it's not about that." Iida arches a brow as his mother's voice fills his ears, desperate and disturbed. His lips part as he focuses on the voice on the other end of the receiver. "Oh, sorry. Tenya, please listen calmly." Iida blinks. His whole being becoming tense as he braces himself for his mother's words—however, he could never truly prepare himself enough for what came next.

"Tensei… your brother…" Iida's breath hitches as his indigo eyes widen at the words. "A villain got him!"

It was in that moment that the world of Iida Tenya first cracked.

Katsuki's footsteps echo through the empty hallway as he saunters through it. Every step he takes is heavy as he puts more weight than necessary into them, allowing his legs to take him to where he needs to go.

 _That Half-and-Half Bastard didn't use his flames._

Katsuki's eyebrow twitches as he recalls the white- and red-haired boy's match against the class rep. Todoroki had solely used his ice despite how much fire he had used in his previous match with Izuku.

 _Deku._

The thought of the green-haired girl only caused Katsuki's blood to boil more. He recalls her injuries after the gruesome match and then her sitting amongst the stands all bandaged up. For some reason, it all just spoiled Katsuki's mood even more—and it wasn't because he had seen his childhood friend's stupid mug either. Rather—the uncomfortable bubbles within his very soul were directed to Todoroki.

 _Despite how fucking wrecked she got to save that bastard's ass, he—_

The blonde scowls. As he strides through the hall, he spots the words "Waiting Room" and instinctively turns towards the door.

With his mind preoccupied with his irritation, Katsuki pays no mind to the actual sign on the ground or on the wall next to the door. Thus, just wanting to vent his anger, he kicks the door open.

Crimson orbs meet a grey one and a turquoise one.

"Huh?" The questioning grunt escapes Katsuki's mouth in his astonishment as he comes face-to-face with his next opponent—Todoroki Shouto. The white- and red-haired boy stares blankly back at him from where he sits at the table near the door. "Hey, why are _you_ here?" Katsuki questions as he points at the boy before he twists to look at the room plate. "It's Waiting Room…" Upon seeing that he had barged into the wrong room, the ash blonde boy chokes for a moment at his mistake before he turns back to his classmate. "…oh, this is room two? Damn it!"

Todoroki stares blankly up at the dramatic ash blonde teen for a moment before he turns back to stare at his hands with a small sigh. Lightning crashes through Katsuki from the action as the bundled-up irritation within him snaps.

"I may have gotten the room wrong," Katsuki snarls as he saunters over to Todoroki. "But what's with that attitude against your opponent in the finals?!" Despite the obvious sounds of his steps and voice, Todoroki doesn't react in the slightest—ignoring the blonde over responding. This only pisses Katsuki off more. "Hey, hey, hey…" He raises his right hand, swinging it down onto the table in front of Todoroki before he sets off consecutive small explosions and shouts. "Where are you looking, Half-and-Half Bastard?!"

Todoroki is not particularly phased by the explosions—yet something about Katsuki's words seems to phase him as now his mismatched pupils are dilated. "That's…"

"Huh?" Katsuki arches an eyebrow at the boy while one of his eye twitches.

"… what Midoriya said to me, too." Todoroki continues as he raises his left hand and stares at it. "That girl acted recklessly and came to destroy all the problems I'd been carrying."

 _Yeah, she stupidly went and shoved her nose in stuff that isn't any of her business—and yet you still haven't used that left side of yours have you?_ Katsuki squints at the other boy as his eyebrow twitches in irritation.

Todoroki's mismatched orbs slide over to look up at Katsuki. "You guys are childhood friends, right?" The white- and red-haired boy returns to looking at his hands pathetically. "Was Midoriya like that when you were young, too?"

Katsuki's breath hitches. His eyes and eyebrows twitch uncontrollably as his brows furrow even further. He could hear it—her voice— _Deku's voice._

 _"_ _You looked like you were asking for help…!"_ She cries amidst the flames.

 _"_ _Are you all right? Can you stand?"_ Her hand is before him as she tilts her head and her large emeralds glitter under the sunlight. She stares into his soul.

The ash blonde teen's clenched fist shake. "That damn nerd…" The growl rumbles from deep within Katsuki. The table squeals a thud as it scrapes against the floor after the blonde kicks it and screams. "Who cares about her?!"

Katsuki's voice drops in volume, coming to a gruff snarl. "Seriously, who the hell cares…?" His fiery rubies are dilated as they glare at the mismatched boy who stares back at him, bewildered. "Your family circumstances, and your feelings…"

 _The shitty things stupid Deku was trying to save you from._

"I don't care about that stuff!" Katsuki yells. "Just use the flames on your left on me, too!"

 _Like you had on Deku._

Katsuki twirls around, striding to the door as he shouts. "I will hold them down from above."

 _I will beat you—unlike Deku._

The slam of the door echoes through the hallway as the raging blonde teen stomps through.

 _I'll crush that Half-and-Half bastard indisputably, and then I'll be at the top!_

"It's finally the last battle of the U.A. High School Sports Festival!" The audience roar and cheer as Present Mic enthusiastically announces. "The top of the first years will be decided with this one match! The finals, so to speak!"

"From the hero course, Todoroki Shouto!" Todoroki stares aloofly at his ash blonde teen. Though his attention was on the event before him, his mind and heart felt like they were elsewhere. The words repeat in his head like a broken record.

The green-haired girl's frustrated scream. _"It's your power, isn't it?!"_

The girl's childhood friend's harsh snarl. _"Seriously, who the hell cares…? Your family circumstances, and your feelings… I don't care about that stuff!"_

 _"_ _Just use the flames on your left on me, too!"_

Todoroki was still conflicted—but he had no time to ponder any longer. He had a match before him and an opponent waiting for him. He could not waver—yet, he still continues to waver.

"Versus—"

"Also from the hero course, Bakugo Katsuki!" Across from Todoroki, Katsuki looms with his body slightly bent forward and his hands out as if in preparation. His rubies burn bright scarlet as wrinkles cover his forehead and his mouth stretches in a snarl.

Katsuki's frustrations had been bubbling within his veins ever since the beginning of this whole sports festival—ever since Todoroki's challenge towards Izuku in the waiting room. No—it was even further back. It all began after the first battle trial.

 _"_ _As I watched the ice guy, I thought, 'I can't beat him'!"_

 _"_ _I'm just… I'm just getting started! You hear?"_

 _"_ _Here, I will become number one!"_

 _"_ _I pledge—that I will be number one."_

Katsuki has been waiting for this stage.

"Now—Start!"

Immediately after the start call, Todoroki slams his right hand onto the floor, freezing it before a giant glacier rises from the ground. The onslaught of ice develops all within its path as it charges at Katsuki who had been waiting for it.

Katsuki stands his ground as the rushing ice races at him. He makes sure his center of gravity is steady, planting his feet on the floor before the ice arrives. Once the ice reaches him, he bashes it with a barrage of explosions. "Damn it!" He snarls as he continuously combats the ice, keeping it at bay as the larger ice engulfs him from overhead and surrounds him.

"Todoroki gets a blow in right away!" Present Mic announces, "Is he trying to avoid close combat with Bakugo? Has the winner been decided already?!"

 _Kacchan!_ In the stands, Izuku tenses in her seat, unconsciously inching forward in her seat as she tries to verify her childhood friend's status. Her large emerald eyes examine the large glacier which had formed due to Todoroki's attack and they widen as a revelation comes to mind. "It's not on the same scale as in his match with Sero! He aimed his attack while being careful of what'll come next."

As soon as her explanation finishes, a low thudding sound can be heard throughout the stadium. Each sound came evenly, like a metronome's beat, and grew louder with each thud. It was coming from the ice.

Bewildered, Mineta arches an eyebrow and questions, "What's that sound?"

"it's Bakugo-chan's doing." Asui comments.

Izuku trains her eyes on the ice, falling into deep focus as her free hand's grip tightens on her knee.

With every rising thundering boom, the ice begins to shatter. It shatters and shatters and shatters—then, bursts. For a flashing moment, the light blue and clear ice takes an unnatural tangy orange hue as the solid wall of ice breaks. Pieces of the ice fly in the air as they explode outward with the reappearance of Katsuki from within the great glacier. Instantly, Todoroki jumps back with a click ringing from his tongue as he distances himself from his seething ash blonde opponent.

"Did he dig his way out through the ice like a mole with his explosions?" Sero gapes in astonishment.

Next to the black-haired boy, Kaminari grimaces at the sight. "That's so weird!"

Todoroki cautiously watches Bakugo, bending forward slightly in preparation of a retaliation against the other boy's next attack.

Piercing rubies glare into the red and white head as two heating hands grasp the edge of the ice. Steam floats into the air, emitting from where the burning heat meets the frozen surface. The ice sublimates under Katsuki's touch as he growls. "The stronger the Quirk…"

Todoroki pivots off his left foot, charging towards the ash blonde teen with his right hand extended.

Katsuki's crimson orbs narrow as he pushes himself up and over the remnants of the glacier, using an explosive burst to propel him at the other boy. Seeing the red- and white-haired boy's attack coming, Katsuki flips midair slightly and uses a smaller explosion to boost him out of Todoroki's right hand's reach. "…the more imprecise the attacks!"

Todoroki's breath hitches as his gray and turquoise orbs widen in shock. However, this expression only lasts for a mere second.

Katsuki's swiftly dives, tightly grasping the left side of Todoroki's hair and his left shoulder. He had purposefully aimed for the other boy's left side as to taunt Todoroki to use his flames. However, Todoroki doesn't. Katsuki clenches his teeth as an irksome irritation builds in the back of his throat.

 _The bastard didn't use his flames._

Katsuki throws the other boy off his balance, using his expert movements to somersault over Todoroki. "Are you underestimating me?!" He growls as his combat boots scrape against the cement ground. With the disturbing feeling becoming an annoyance, the ash blonde teen screams, "Idiot!" and throws Todoroki with a boosting explosion.

Todoroki grits his teeth as he eyes the incoming boundary line. Bakugo's explosive throw has too much momentum for him to simply stop with only a single ice wall. Thus, with his mind racing, Todoroki acts quickly. He raises a wave of ice, whisking it around to give his body time to get rid of the momentum as the ice circles around. Then, once he has regained control over his body, Todoroki latches his right foot and hand onto the ice wave he has been making, manipulating to increase his mobility as he slides away from the boundary line and towards his ash blonde opponent.

Katsuki ducks under an incoming ice wave when he dashes toward the sliding Todoroki. With a loud, ferocious snarl, he jumps, diving at the red- and white-haired boy's left side to throw another explosion in his face. Then, the world around him stagnates. His crimson eyes dilate at the revelation—

—Todoroki had grabbed him with his left hand.

Todoroki, himself, also seems shocked by the development as his mismatched orbs dilate as well. He had only reached out and grabbed the other boy on instinct.

 _This is my chance._

But, he had sworn never to use his flames in combat though.

 _I used it against Midoriya—_

Both times he had acted on instinct—on his beliefs and adrenaline at the time—and, now, after what she had said—

Midoriya's passionate scream. _"It's your power, isn't it?!"_

—he isn't sure what to believe in.

Bakugo's shout rings in his head, making his mind numb. _"Just use the flames on your left on me, too!"_

He had sworn to never use it though.

Todoroki flings Bakugo away from him, only managing to distance himself from the ash blonde teen.

Katsuki clicks his tongue as his hand grinds against the floor as he stops himself from sliding. His eyebrows are furrowed deeply as he hears Todoroki jump to the area across from him.

Rage bubbles from the pits of his gut.

"Stop screwing around." Bloodshot eyes and a scarlet glare bare into Todoroki as Katsuki lifts his hand over his face.

 _I had purposefully aimed for that bastard's left—and there was even an opening…! Yet the fucker didn't even try to use his flames!_

"Am I not strong enough to make you use it?" Katsuki growls.

 _What happened to all that flames you threw at Deku, huh?!_

Small explosions erupt at Katsuki's fingertips, sparking to life from his bubbling emotions. They snap and sparkle and crackle from his palms like miniature fireworks. He is sweating—from irritation; from frustration; from adrenaline—from rage.

 _Half-and-Half is_ _ **looking down**_ _on_ _ **me**_ _._

"Bastard…!" The screech rumbles from Katsuki's throat as he glares at the other boy. "I'll show you what'll happen if you make a fool of me!" He can't stop it—the long-cracking dam cannot hold in the rage any longer. "I'll kill you!"

Todoroki's breath hitches as his heterochromatic eyes dilate. _Bakugo…_

All of it comes flooding out—Katsuki cannot stop it.

"I want an indisputable first place!"

 _So_ _ **no one**_ _can challenge it._

"I can't get that even if I beat scum that underestimates me!"

 _So_ _ **Deku**_ _won't challenge me._

"There's no point if I can't get higher up than Deku."

 _If I'm not higher than Deku, then how am I ever going to be number one—?!_

 _How am I going to prove that I am the one who—_

"If you have no intention of winning then don't stand in front of me!"

 _How can I if I'm not even truly going to win…!?_

Katsuki kicks off the cement, dashing across the field towards Todoroki. "Why are you standing here?!" Katsuki's teeth grind together, painfully, before he releases the grip of his jaw. He screams. "Damn it!"

Todoroki's eyes feel heavy as the world around him seems to silence. He can hear the crackles of his flames in the back of his mind, beckoning him. He can hear his declaration from only a couple of hours ago.

 _"_ _I want… to be a hero, too…!"_

Yet, at the same time, Todoroki can feel the cold. It crawls all over his right side, engulfing him bit-by-bit as the frost numbs his skin and soul.

 _Sorry, Bakugo._

Todoroki Shouto is listless. He is listless and lost—confused by his own self—his own existence.

 _Ever since I fought Midoriya, I became unsure of what I should do…_

Shouto's red and white hair sweeps across his face as his mismatched orbs continue to watch Bakugo's approach in a daze.

 _Of whether or not I was correct…_

Shouto's tense body begins to loosen as if it has resigned itself to his fate before the boy's mind can even keep up. His hand twitches into a relaxed state as his arms begin to fall at his side—only for it to snap to a halt.

"Todoroki-kun!" A certain holler resounds within Todoroki Shouto, snapping the dazed boy awake. A gray and a turquoise orb widen at the call from the stands. Midoriya Izuku jumps from her seat. "Don't lose! Do your best!"

The cheer reaches Todoroki Shouto's ears—echoes through his soul, like a ripple in a lake. He clenches his teeth as he whips his head back up.

 _Midoriya!_

Bloodshot eyes, one metallic silver and the other cerulean blue, gleams. It was as if something had been set ablaze within those gems; like the fog which had clouded them has been cleared by the beacon of salvation.

At the sound of Izuku's call, Katsuki clicks his tongue in irritation during his sprint towards Todoroki. "That damn nerd."

Initially, a scowl rests on his face.

 _Still trying to save him, huh._

However, then it morphs into a smirk with a hint of exasperation in it. The blonde jumps, using a burst from an explosion to propel him higher into the air. _What an idiot!_

The smirk only grows larger when the frost covering Todoroki's right begins to evaporate and flames burst from the other boy's left side.

 _That's it! That's it!_

Katsuki raises his arms, exploding the sweat along his palms to force him into a flying rotation. One after the other, Katsuki continues to make explosions, creating a dark vortex of smoke as he accelerates.

 _If you're gonna stand in front of me, then you should just concentrate on winning!_

Todoroki raises his flame-covered arm towards the smoke covered boy, causing Katsuki's smirk to widen almost ferociously.

 _Or else—_

Katsuki can feel the heat residing in his palms—its familiar; the same sort of energy that he had built up several times before. The sweat had built up; the nitroglycerin practically sparking with his rising emotions that he could barely hold back—the frustration; the irritation; the rage; and, most of all, the excitement.

 _—_ _this won't prove_ to her _that I—_

"Howitzer… Impact!" Katsuki screams as his hand meets the cold surface of ice.

 **Boom!**

Upon contact, a gigantic explosion overtakes the whole stage, engulfing it with its bright destruction. The large remains of the glacier rumble and shatters at the force before it is blasted across the field.

Izuku's lips are parted and her mouth has fallen agape. Her emerald orbs glisten at the sight of the massive explosion, sparkling in awe. Despite her earlier cheer for Todoroki, Izuku couldn't help but stand there awestruck at her childhood friend's prowess. _Amazing…!_

The audience is silent and tense, everyone at the edge of their seats as they listen to Present Mic's announcements. "He added momentum and rotation to the huge blast he showed us in his fight with Uraraka!" Present Mic is off his seat, screaming into his mic. "He was like a human projectile!"

Present Mic's voice echoes through the arena as all eyes focus on the smoke-covered stage. "It looks like Todoroki didn't fire off the huge blast he used in his match with Midoriya, but the winner is—"

"Huh?" The gasp escapes Katsuki before he is even fully aware of what had happened.

The ash blonde teen lies on the burnt cement floor, still a bit warm from his earlier massive explosion. The smoke has cleared now, revealing the broken ice around the battered battlefield and no one's feet within his line of sight. Instead, what Katsuki finds when he lifts his head is more and more ice; mountains of it with a Todoroki laying on top. The white- and red-haired boy is slump against his own shattered ice, like a lifeless doll.

It didn't take long for Katsuki's brain to reach the conclusion.

 _You put out your flames!_

At the last moment, Todoroki Shouto had released his flames, letting them dissipate just as Katsuki was about to make his strike.

"Huh?" With shaky arms and a groan, Katsuki pushes his fatigued body up from the ground. His teeth bare at the numbness in his muscles. He staggers to his feet, stumbling every so often as he approaches the unconscious Todoroki. "Hey." He calls out to the immobile boy, but the other does not respond.

 _It can't be…_

"Hey!" Katsuki tries again, a bit louder this time, but still the other does not respond.

 _No…_ Desperate from the lack of response, Katsuki forces his legs to move, dashing towards where Todoroki lays on his own ice. _It can't fucking end like this…!_

Katsuki snatches Todoroki's shirt, dragging it up along with the unconscious boy in one furious movement. "Stop screwing around!" Todoroki is slumped in his grasp as he gives the unconscious boy a good shake. His outstretches hand twitches as if a threat, yet Katsuki doesn't even have the thought about his position—instead, all he can hear is the empty echoes of the bubbling emotions within him.

He screams.

"Didn't I tell you that there was no point, damn it?!"

 _This can't be called a 'win'!_

Katsuki exhales, hyperventilating as he continues to spit and bellow. "To get first place like this!"

 _If it's like this how the hell am I going to prove that I am—_

His crimson orbs dilate and twitch. "Like this—?!"

 _—_ _that I can—!_

Katsuki's breath hitches as his vision starts becoming hazy.

"Like…"

The world around Katsuki blends into a strange pink hue as something begins weighing on his eyes and body. His body staggers under his own weight, his muscles losing the grip they had before in keeping himself up. His jaw slackens, loosening just as his eyelids shield his dazed scarlet irises. Katsuki collapses.

The motion is slow in the eyes of Midoriya Izuku. The girl has long stood from her seat with her large viridian eyes wide and trained on the falling ash blonde boy. Her throat is dry from the tension as sweat slides down her freckled cheek and Katsuki meets the cold icy debris, falling unconscious under the aroma of Midnight's Somnambulist. A hitched breath passes through her dry lips as her eyebrows furrow further. She watches Midnight as the dark-haired woman approaches the two competitors.

Midnight strides forward. Her azure eyes are downtrodden as they gaze at the young boys lying unconscious on the solid ice mountain. A frown settles on her lips. She didn't like it. The sports festival is an arena of willpower and ideals—by this section of the tournament, the field is usually brimming with passion as two students combat one another in order to exhibit that they are the best. However, despite being the final round, there was a lack of this passion.

Nemuri could understand the young ash blonde teen's rage.

Midnight stops walking towards the two unconscious boys, raising her left arm into the air. The handcuff around her wrist clangs with the movement as she announces the results. "Todoroki-kun is out of bounds—which means, Bakugo-kun wins!"

As if on signal, the crowd breaks out in a roaring cheer. Present Mic follows with his loud voice echoing through the speakers. "And now, all of the events have been completed! The winner of this year's first-year U.A. sports festival is…" The audience silences for the announcement. "… from Class A, Bakugo Katsuki!" With the announcement clear, the monitor animates Bakugo Katsuki's win as the arena brims with screaming cheers and applause.

However, for Izuku, the sound does not reach her as her emerald gaze focuses on the two boys lying on the ice. Inside her there is conflict—her emotions seem to contradict one another. She is disappointed and sad towards Todoroki who still seems to be unable to accept himself. Yet, at the same time, there is joy, amazement, and relief for Katsuki who had proven to be the top of their year. And then there was the reborn determination which flames to life within her.

The award ceremony did not commence for another half an hour after the final match. This is due to the rather lengthy time it took for the teachers to clean up the field after the match and how long it took to prepare the finalists for the ceremony.

"All of the first-year events for this year's U.A. sports festival have been completed. And now, we will begin the award ceremony!" Midnight announces, signaling the orchestra band to begin playing. Fireworks pop over the arena, showing grand cheer as numerous of cameras flash from behind the fence on the field.

Smoke and confetti erupt from the ground behind Midnight like geysers. Groaning and the clanging of chains can be heard from within the dissipating smoke as confetti free falls in the air and three shadowy figures emerge from the ground.

Izuku gawks at the display, unsure of how to exactly react.

"Wow…" She hears Mineta gasp from above her as he sits along Shouji's shoulders.

"What the heck?" Jirou breaks the silent awestruck state with a question.

"He's been struggling ever since waking up," Kirishima explains, exasperatedly. "But man…" The redhead chuckles awkwardly as the smoke clears, revealing the bound and gagged Bakugo who continues to struggle. "That first place is all over the place."

On the stand next to the struggling and raging teen, Tokoyami sweatdrops. "He is like a man-eating fiend."

Katsuki continues to thrash about against his chains, his groaning and growls being heard through the gag. Despite his noise and rowdiness, Todoroki, who is on the ash blonde teen's other side, continues to cooly ignore it—favoring to stare at his feet over anything else at that moment.

Meanwhile, Midnight glances at the flashing cameras and the full crowd of paparazzi behind the fence. "In addition to Tokoyami-kun, there is also Iida-kun in third place, but he left early for family reasons." She elaborates in a sweet voice before striking a pose for the camera. "Thank you for your understanding!"

At the mentioning of Iida, both Uraraka and Midoriya's moods drop.

"That's too bad. Iida-chan was really into it." Beside the two girls, Asui comments.

"Yeah." Izuku and Uraraka both nod, but only Izuku gives the audio reply. As the green-haired girl's eyebrows furrow, Uraraka twiddles her thumbs; both are rather worried for their friend.

However, there is nothing that the two could do except pray and hope.

 _Ingenium… please be okay…_

The award ceremony continues.

Midnight extends her hand, causing the handcuff around her wrist to clatter. "Now, we will award the medals!" She announces. "The presentation of the medals will, of course, be by this man—"

"Ahahahaha!" A loud thundering laugh echoes from above the arena, causing the audience to all respond with excitement. The laugh is reassuring and familiar—something that all of them have engraved in their very souls. It gives the people hope—a laugh of hope.

"It's All Might!"

All Might stands on the roof of the arena, proud and strong. He takes a few steps away from the edge of the roof before dashing forward and jumping off of it with a great shout. "—I have brought the medals here!"

"—Our very own hero, All Might!" However, Midnight also begins to announce at that very moment as All Might somersaults through the air.

Both speeches end just as All Might lands on the grassy floor of the field. All Might turns to Midnight, lightly trembling in distraught awkwardness. Midnight claps her hands together as she sweatdrops. "I talked over you…"

Trying to shove away the earlier mishap, Midnight awkwardly tries to urge on the ceremony, holding up a plate with three medals on it. "Now then, All Might, please present the medals, starting with third place."

The crowd applauds and cheers as All Might first takes the bronze medal and waltzes over to the dignified-looking bird-like boy. The Symbol of Peace chuckles. "Young Tokoyami, congratulations!" Tokoyami bows as All Might places the bronze medal around the boy's neck. "You sure are strong."

"You are too kind." Tokoyami immediately responds immediately, He is vastly overjoyed at the moment to be able to receive such high praise from the No. 1 Hero.

All Might leans over, giving the dark bird-like teen a hug, surprising Tokoyami. "However, in order to fight well against different types, you must not rely only on your Quirk." The large blonde pats the smaller boy's back. "If you train your own strength more, then you'll have more options when you fight." He then steps away flashing Tokoyami his signature smile.

Tokoyami gazes on understandingly. With this sports festival, he has realized just how fatal his weakness is. He picks up his medal, staring at the bronze gleam before he affirms. "Yes, sir."

Next, All Might takes the silver medal and holds it up to the aloof white- and red-haired boy. "Young Todoroki, congratulations." He congratulates the boy as he places the silver medal around his neck. All Might pauses for a moment; however, he proceeds to inquire. "I assume there is a reason you did not use your left side in the final?"

"I had an opportunity during my match with Midoriya," Todoroki begins to absent-mindedly elaborate. "But then I became unsure of myself." He stares at the cement under his foot as his mind continuously replays the most recent events. "I think I understand a little of why you are interested in her."

All Might stands there and waits, allowing for the young man to finish.

"I wanted to become a hero like you." Todoroki Shouto confesses. "But I didn't think it would be right for me to be the only one to break away." The young man finally looks up, meeting All Might's cyan orbs with his own grey and turquoise ones. "There is still something I must settle."

Todoroki's expression is lighter—as if something had alleviated the burden set inside of his soul that had made him emptier inside.

All Might can recall the face the young boy had been making during the second trip to the USJ. That day there was clear rage and frustration in the boy's mismatched eyes. He nods in satisfaction at the refreshed expression Todoroki now holds. "The look on your face is completely different from before." The large blonde man leans over, giving the young boy a small hug as he pats his back. "I won't ask about the details. I'm sure that you will be able to do what you need to do."

Todoroki closes his eyes for a moment, accepting the brief exchange and acceptance. "Yes."

All Might releases Todoroki with a smile before he grabs the gold medal and twirls around to the last one on the stage. "Now then—Young Bakugo!" All Might awkwardly deadpans with a small exasperated tone as he stares at the young ash blonde winner's current situation. Katsuki is not only handcuffed by cuffs which cover his hands and gagged by a large metal mask, but he is also bound to a cement rock behind him by two leather belts. "This is too much."

All Might reaches over to the belt that holds the metal mask around Bakugo's mouth and unties it, releasing the ash blonde teen's mouth as he congratulates the boy. "Good job doing what you said you would during the player pledge!"

"All Might…" The moment after Katsuki is released, a growl rumbles from his throat.

All Might tilts his head in curiosity over what the boy has to say.

"First place like this…" Katsuki begins with a low grumble, but gradually his voice grows louder and deeper—more aggressive—more full of rage. "…is not worth anything!" He snarls as his face contorts with bared teeth and a deep glare. "Even if the world recognizes it, if I don't recognize it myself, then it's trash!"

 _His face is amazing…!_ All Might sweatdrops as he awkwardly tries to move the ceremony along. "Right." He nods before turning away from the young man. "In this world where people are constantly being compared publicly, there are not many who can keep aiming for the top of an unchanging scale."

Hoping his words had convinced the young raging teen, All Might turns back to Katsuki—only to be met with an even deeper glare. _His face is amazing…!_

All Might holds up the last medal—the gold medal for the one in first place. "Take the medal, okay?" He approaches the raging blonde. "Think of it as a 'wound', so you never forget!"

Katsuki does not give up though. "I said I didn't want it!"

"Now, now." All Might begins looping the medal over Katsuki's head.

The cloth ribbon does not pass over the ash blonde's head, however, as the teen tilts his head back in retaliation, effectively stopping the award from being placed around his neck. "I told you, I don't want it!" Katsuki continues to bark, struggling to fight back against All Might.

All Might is not the number one hero for nothing, however. Thus, Katsuki finds himself losing the battle as All Might manages to pull the ribbon down from his nasal to his bottom set of teeth. All Might releases a light exhale of relief which is overshadowed by his deep voice. "Here!"

The audience applauds and cheers now that all of the top three have received their medals. Katsuki clamps his teeth down on the ribbon, resigning to holding onto it for the rest of the duration of the ceremony.

Satisfied, All Might walks back down from the stage and twirls around as he announces in a voice loud enough that it can echo through the arena. "Well, they were the winners this time! But listen here!" All Might draws everyone's attention to him, silencing them with his charisma. "Anyone here could have ended up on these podiums. It's just as you saw—Competing! Improving each other! And climbing even further! The next generation of heroes is definitely sprouting!" The Number One Hero proclaims as he raises his hand in the air and points at the cerulean sky. "So, I have just one more thing to say! Everyone, please say it with me!" He prompts, "Ready, go—"

 **"—** **Plus Ultra!"**

"—Thanks for your hard work!"

In an instant, the noise within the stadium dies for a mere moment. Then, just as abruptly, the whole audience collectively shout and boo. **"What?! It should've been 'Plus Ultra!' there, All Might!"**

"Ahh—well, I thought everyone worked hard…" All Might panics, trying to pacify the situation.

Despite the last bit of uproar, the closing ceremony ends smoothly. However, the day was not over for the students of U.A. as they had one last homeroom before they could leave for the day. Class A is finally able to reach their classroom at sunset.

"Good work." The bandaged-up Aizawa gives his student a small congratulations for their hard work before he gets down to business. He, like the rest of the class, ignores the trembling Bakugo, who still has his medal between his teeth, and announces. "So there will be no school tomorrow or the day after. I'm sure the pro heroes who watched the sports festival will want to recruit you, but we'll consolidate everything and announce it when you get back." He explains quickly and concisely, feeling rather exhausted after the day's events and wanting nothing more than to climb back into his signature sleeping bag and sleep. "So, rest well and look forward to that."

 **"** **Yes, sir!"**

"Shut up!" Katsuki screeches as he slams his bedroom door behind him, shutting away his annoying mother and father.

It wasn't as if Katsuki disliked the praises he received from his parents—besides the ways his mother would show her pride in him. However, he couldn't stand to be praised this time—not over _this._

"What fucking _wound_ …" Katsuki clicks his tongue as he collapses onto his bed, exhausted from the day's endeavors. He inhales slow and steady as his eyelids fall over his irises.

He exhales.

Crimson rubies peak from behind heavy eyelids as Katsuki raises his clenched fist, dangling the golden medallion over his head.

 _"_ _Think of it as a 'wound', so you never forget!"_

One of Katsuki's furrowed eyebrow twitches in irritation before he abruptly shoots up. He clenches his fist around the gold medal, winds his arm back, and begins whipping his arm outward—only to freeze in place and lower the hand which still holds a tight grasp over the warm medal.

Katsuki clicks his tongue before he collapses back onto his bed, allowing his head to be cushioned by the soft comfort of his pillow. The day's worth of exhaustion catches up to him, pushing him to shut his eyes and allow his body to relax against the firm mattress. His right hand loosens its grip on the medallion, allowing the medal to slip from his palm and plop onto his bed.

He sighs.

 _Who the hell would need that._

* * *

 **And there it is folks! The end of the U.A. Sports Festival Arc! Woohoo!**

 **It's really late right now... woah it's 3 am. So yeah, I can't think of much I want to say.**

 **Anyways, uhh... you can still send in some filler suggestions! I'd be happy to learn what's on your minds... oh, and be prepared for some family stuff next chapter.**

 **I hope you enjoyed the chapter!**

 **Please leave a review before you leave!**


	25. A Day With Family

**Hey guys! Sorry for the late update!**

 **So, good news, I've gotten that job that I was interviewing for! Unfortunately, that means I won't have as much time to write, especially with school... but I'll do my best to finish these chapters!**

 **This chapter is a bit shorter than my usual ones... it took me a bit to write it all out, haha.**

 **Anyways, please enjoy~**

* * *

 _Nii-san…_

The grassy fields are bright green and hopeful. It was as if the light gathering within the vivid leaves were radiating happy-go-luckiness. Yet, despite watching green fields roll over green fields as the train zooms past, the image is only a blur to Iida Tenya's unfocused mind and his tension is not relieved. His hand clenches over the armrest.

Within the blue-haired boy, a sense of urgency and unease continues to branch in his mind.

Just an hour ago, he was in the stadium and in good cheer despite his frustrations over his own loss—that is before he got the phone call.

 _"Uraraka-kun, Midoriya-kun."_ Upon returning to the stands after his phone call with his mother, Tenya had called out to his two friends, requesting for their presence prior to the final match's beginning. _"This is sudden, but I must leave early."_

A pang of pain erupts within the class rep's chest as he states the fact out loud. _"A villain got my older brother."_

Promptly, both girls gasp. Their expressions contort to those of shock and concern.

Uraraka lacks composure at the news. Her eyebrows furrow and her mouth falls agape as her large brown eyes widen in astonishment and disbelief.

On the other hand, Midoriya quickly regains composure. The green-haired girl instantly ops to inquiring on the situation. _"Your brother? You mean Ingenium?!"_

 _"Yeah."_ Tenya nods, sadly. His indigo eyes gleam with dread.

Uraraka reaches out to Tenya but stops short _. "How's your brother's condition?"_

Tenya squeezes his eyes shut as his eyebrows furrow together. _"I don't know the details."_ His squeezed eyebrows and eyes twitch as another pang echoes through his being. It tugs at his heart, causing the poor bluenette to fill with grief and dread. _"So I'm going to go visit him directly to see."_

Then, he hastily leaves the stadium and hops onto the first train to Hosu.

Tenya doesn't arrive at the hospital until the sun has long fallen and the moon has risen in the dark sky. The stellar object observes from above as the blue-haired boy rushes into the hospital with only pure worry filling his whole soul. He had stripped himself of his blazer, opting to carry it over his forearm as he dashes desperately.

Iida Tenya does his best to stay composed. However, his best does not mean he was composed. The bluenette rushes to the front desk and politely requests for the information of where his brother is.

The moment after the receptionist gives him the room number and explains which direction to head, the stressed teenager rushes off. He pants, having already been exhausted from not only the sports festival but also the stress of the situation and his journey to the hospital, Iida slightly stumbles as he struggles hastily towards his brother's location.

"Please do not run in the halls!" The receptionist chides, but Tenya is far too lost to hear her.

Instead, Tenya continues on his rush. He hastily climbs the stairs, too impatient to ride the elevator, as he pants with every step. In his haze, he doesn't quite realize when he reaches the second floor, though his mind seems to return to him when he spots the familiar figure of his mother hunched over on a bench at the end of the hall.

"Mother!" Tenya calls out to his mother, snapping her attention to him.

"Tenya!" Tenya's mother, a woman with short blue hair wearing glasses rises from her seat and starts staggering in the direction of her youngest son.

"How is nii-san's condition?" Iida Tenya is ruffled—an unusual occurrence for the usually neat and tidy, uptight and earnest boy.

"Tenya…" His mother's lips part as she lowers her head. "Tensei's surgery has finished, but…" She clenches her slim hands which quiver as a sob escapes her. "… his condition is stable, but…!"

A chill runs down Tenya's spine—as a murky sense of anguish overrides his mind. He roughly brushes past his mother, reaching for the door separating him from his brother. He slams it open. "Nii-san!"

Indigo irises dilate as Tenya's breath hitches.

"Come on, Tenya!" Tenya's mother chides her son. "Keep your voice down and put on a mask…"

Iida Tensei lays on the hospital bed, shirtless and full of bandages and wires which connect him to the IV bag and the heart monitor. Covering over his dry lips and nose is an oxygen mask which helps the injured man breathe as he lays on the slightly angled mattress of the hospital bed. His eyes are heavy, shut and dreary and his head is wrapped in bandages.

"The anesthetic wore off earlier, and he regained consciousness." The doctor stands beside Tenya's bedridden brother as he explains the situation to the newcomers. "He is still in a haze." He elaborates to the family of his patient who lays on the bed, breathing softly. "If he had come into surgery two minutes later, it would have been too late."

Iida Tensei's bleary eyes open as his hazy head begins to gradually clear. The sound and the wearing effects of the anesthetics had both contributed to the now gaining conscious Tensei. "Tenya…" He murmurs out. "Mother…"

It is only a small hoarse whisper which he exhales from his dry lips and throat.

However, Tenya hears it—he can hear it—he **listens** for it.

"Nii-san…!" Iida Tenya, the younger brother, races to be by his older brother's side. He practically fumbles in his desperation, having to reach out for the railing of his brother's hospital bed to steady himself as he leans over his brother's injured, weary form. "Tensei-niisan!" Behind him, at the door, their mother loses control over her legs, allowing them to turn into jelly as she slides down to the floor with a gasp.

The drowsy man cannot particularly feel anything at that moment beyond the numbing pain coursing throughout his body and the cold air brushing up against his bare skin. The air being provided for him is refreshing and cool and easy—it gives Tensei the support he needs to continue. His vision is still blurry, but he can see the shadow in his peripheral and the splotches of white and blue which he unconsciously identifies as his little brother. "Even though… such an accomplished younger brother… like you… looks up to me…" He tilts his head in the direction he believes his brother is in, hazily gazing at the blurry figure next to him as he releases a hoarse mutter. "I'm sorry… Tenya…"

Tenya's mouth has long fallen open, continuing to quiver as strained whimpers rumble out from him.

"Your big brother…"

Furrowed, Tenya's eyebrows twitch uncontrollably as heavy tears fill his eyes, brimming on the rim of his sockets.

"Lost…"

Unable to hold back, the tears gush out. They stream down Tenya's face of agony as if a hole had broken in a damn and the reservoir once restrained is set loose. His cry is hoarse and full of sorrow, echoing as a sob through the dark night.

"Nii-san…!"

Todoroki Shouto leans against the frame of the front door as he slides on his sneakers on the morning of the day after the U.A. Sports Festival had ended. His older sister, Fuyumi, catches him before he leaves. "Shouto, where are you going?" She inquires.

"The hospital." Promptly, Shouto answers as he slips on his other shoe.

"What?" This answer shocks Fuyumi speechless. "All of a sudden? Why?" She immediately questions, still dumbfounded by the whole predicament. It sends her into a slight frenzy, causing her mind to race through several questions and thoughts. Ultimately, she is only able to voice one of them. "Wait, Shouto! Is it okay not to tell Dad?"

"Yeah," The white- and red-haired boy affirms as he reaches for the door.

Fuyumi continues in her state of confusion as she watches her youngest brother slide the front door open. "Why do you want to see Mom now, after all this time?" She questions, flabbergasted.

However, an answer is not returned.

"I'll be back." Shouto turns to head to glance at his sister with his turquoise eye, giving her a parting statement of promise. He then turns back around, exiting the house and sliding the door shut behind him.

Todoroki Shouto was born to be a hero.

 _"Stand up!"_ His father's harsh voice commands as tears overflow from his eyes. Young Shouto coughs and spits uncontrollably as he crouches over the wooden floor, clenching his own stomach. _"If you're downed by something like this, forget beating All Might, you won't even be able to take the small fry villains—"_

 _"Please, stop!"_ His mother rushes to his side, putting a protective hand over his shoulders. _"He's only five!"_

 _"He's_ already _five! Get out of my way!" His father shouts at his mother before proceeding to slap her._

His mother screams and falls to the floor beside him. Shouto grunts as his eyes snap open to glance at his fallen mother in shock and fear. He calls out, _"Mom…!"_

Todoroki Shouto was born to be a hero.

 _"I don't wanna, Mom…"_ Young Shouto cries into his mother's bosom as he clings onto her for dear life. _"I… I…"_ He sobs, _"I don't want to be like Dad…! I don't want to become someone who bullies you, Mom!"_ The fearful Shouto buries his face more, soaking in his mother's warmth.

Todoroki Shouto didn't want to be a hero—

 _"But, you want to be a hero, don't you?"_ His mother soothes young Shouto, petting his head softly. At the gesture, the young white- and red-haired boy looks up at his mother. _"It's okay for_ you _to be one. As long as you have a future you feel strongly about."_

—yet, at the same time, he still wanted to be a hero.

Young Shouto watches from the balcony as his older siblings play ball together in the courtyard. His mismatched eyes are gleaming in envy—he wanted to play with them too. However, he is soon dragged away from that fantasy.

 _"Don't look at that, Shouto."_ His father reprimands him as he drags him away from his siblings. He can hear their laughter as he struggles to break free from the force. _"They're from a different world than you."_

Todoroki Shouto was born to be a hero—his siblings were not in his father's eyes.

Young Shouto yawns silently as he staggers towards the open kitchen door. The bright light filters into the hallway, drawing his drowsy body towards it.

 _"Mom, I'm going crazy…"_ His mother murmurs while holding the telephone and Shouto stops by the door, rubbing his eyes. _"Every day, the children seem to become more and more like him…"_

Young Shouto's gray and teal eyes widen at the sight of his mother on the phone as he listens in on her conversation.

 _"Shouto's… that child's left side sometimes looks very unsightly to me…"_ Young Shouto leans into the door more as his mother begins to confess. _"I can't raise him anymore… I feel like I shouldn't…"_

He turns pale. Shouto approaches the kitchen more in shock at those words. In his state of disturbance, he couldn't help but mumble out. _"M…Mom…?"_

His mother gasps, hearing her child's plea. The hiss of the boiling kettle fills the room, screeching horrifyingly as his mother turns around to face her child. Her gray eyes are dark and dilated.

Does Todoroki Shouto truly want to be a hero?

 _"Good grief, this is an important time, too…"_ His father groans as Shouto stands in the hall, his left eye covered in bandages.

 _"Where's mom?"_ Young Shouto questions, coldly.

 _"Oh,"_ His father replies with little interest. _"She injured you, so I put her in a hospital."_

Todoroki Shouto lost himself in rage.

 _"It's your fault."_

 _"Huh?"_ His father—Endeavor—turns around to peer down at his son.

Tears stream down Shouto's right gray eyes. It's dilated with rage as he snarls up at his father. _"You're the one who made Mom…!"_

At least, Todoroki Shouto didn't want to be a hero like his father.

 _"Yes, that's right!"_ All Might's voice filters from the television. _"Children inherit Quirks from their parents. But, the really important thing is not that connection, but recognizing your own flesh and blood—recognizing yourself."_ Young Shouto sits beside his mother with a smile on his face as he watches the program. Her arm is around his shoulder and his mismatched eyes are sparkling in excitement. _"That's what I mean when I say: **I am here!** You see?"_

 _"But, you want to be a hero, don't you?"_ His mother pets young Shouto's head. _"It's okay for_ you _to be one."_

Todoroki Shouto wants to be a hero.

 _"You don't have to be bound by your blood."_ His mother smiles, _"It's okay for you to become who you want to be."_

Todoroki Shouto wants to be a hero.

Shouto stops in front of a large hospital. He had been lost in thought, reminiscing the past as he walked to the hospital—the one his mother was staying in. The handsome teen stares up at it, still vaguely in the clouds.

 _Ever since that day, I thought my presence would put pressure on Mom, so I never went to see her._

Shouto crosses the gate, stepping into the boundary of the hospital.

 _I'm sure she continues to be bound by me… by Dad…_

He strolls through the front door, heading straight to the receptionist as those around him stare and chatter about him and his presentation at the U.A. Sports Festival. The receptionist lady is initially flabbergasted to see him; however, Shouto ignores this and asks politely for the room his mother is staying in.

 _That's why, in order to aim to become a hero again with this body, with everything I have…_

Shouto strides through the hospital, opting to take the stairs to the third floor where his mother's room it. Upon reaching his mother's room, Room 315, he stops and stares at the door for a moment. His hand reaches out but hesitates before the handle.

Shouto was still _afraid._

However, he had to do this. Shouto exhales the breath he had been holding as he closes his eyes.

 _"It's okay for you to become who you want to be."_ His mother's words echo in his mind.

Shouto opens his eyes, bringing them up to stare at the door separating him from his mother.

 _In order to become my ideal hero,_

Shouto reaches for the door once more. This time he grabs the handle and pulls the door open, gradually.

 _I need to see her and talk to her…_

His mother sits by the window, staring out at the bright scenery. She holds a letter in hand and her white long hair lays over her light blue hospital clothes.

 _There's so much we need to talk about…_

Steeling himself, Shouto steps into the room and closes the door behind him. However, despite coming so far, Shouto still wasn't sure what he should say. He had been thinking about it—but all that he concluded was that he needed to say _something— **anything**._

Shouto wanted to say so many things—what he had felt, what he had learned, what he really wanted to do. He wanted to share it all yet he didn't know where to start.

He has to start _somewhere_ though.

"Mom…"

Shouto abruptly speaks up; his voice fading as if he had just released a breath he had been holding for a long time.

At the sound of his voice, his mother gradually turns to him. Her lips are parted slightly, and her gray eyes shine with surprise. She stares at him, dumbfounded.

In turn, Shouto stares at his mother with a small gape. His lips come together into a straight line as his gray and turquoise eyes soften. The sight of her only steels his resolve.

 _Even if she doesn't want it, I will rescue her from here._

His foot moves forward as he approaches his mother who sits by the window and continues to stare back at him.

 _That is my start line._

 _That is how I feel._

Meanwhile, on that same day, a certain brunette strolls through the street. "For lunch today, I'll have…" Uraraka Ochako contemplates her options as she cheerfully swings her purse. "…something cheap. Hmm… Oh!" Her chocolate eyes brighten at a certain thought. "Mochi!"

Upon reaching her apartment, Ochako follows muscle memory: taking out her key, inserting it into the door, and unlocking the door. However, her eyebrows furrow as she notices that her door is unlocked. "Huh?" Ochako opens her door, peeping inside her dark apartment. "The door is unlocked…?"

"Ochako!" All of a sudden, two voices shout from inside her apartment, causing the brunette girl to scream.

"We're here!" Her father grins in greeting.

Ochako blinks at them, turning from one parent to another. "Dad?! Mom?!" Ochako is stuck in a state of astonishment. "Eh?! Why are you guys here?!"

Ochako had moved to an apartment closer to U.A. since her parents live too far to commute from home to school.

"We came to throw you an after-party." Her mother answers with a smile.

In a panic, Ochako tries to wiggle out of her shoes hastily as her father explains. "Seeing our daughter trying so hard, we couldn't _not_ come running!"

"What? What about work?!" Ochako inquires, still squirming. "Did you come by the bullet train? What? What?" Ochako's parents chuckle at their silly daughter as her chocolate orbs widen and sparkle a smile tugs her mouth up. Her excitement and joy are overflowing. "At least say something first!"

Ochako struggles to keep herself calm.

At the same time, another girl is struggling—though this one with her food.

"Seven times! Isn't that crazy?" Izuku's mother exclaims as she elaborates in detail on her reaction towards yesterday's events.

"Y…yeah…" Izuku, on the other hand, is barely paying attention as she struggles with her fork. Using her nondominant hand to eat is a huge struggle and all she has succeeded in doing is stab her fried egg repeatedly.

"Ever since the cavalry battle, I lost consciousness seven times!" Inko continues to explain. "The last two times were pretty much from dehydration!"

"You were way more heroic than me, huh?" Izuku replies with her focus still on the eggs in front of her. She grits her teeth as her left arm shakes.

"Well, of course!" Inko deadpans. "Suddenly hearing that you had a Quirk, and, on top of that, having that Quirk be a super risky power—" She complains as she brings up a piece of tomato to her mouth.

Izuku's face contorts as she remembers when she had to explain to her mother about her new Quirk.

 _"I-It was a sudden variation or something that isn't impossible medically speaking," Izuku swings her arm repeatedly as she mumbles out hastily. "And anyway, now I have a Quirk…!"_

 _"Anyways, I'm so glad…!" Her mother jumps her with a hug as she cries in joy for her daughter._

"I'll support you, but that doesn't mean that I don't worry." Inko lectures her daughter.

At those words, Izuku's mouth twists and her expression is overtaken with guilt as she nods. "Yeah."

 _I just keep going after what I yearned for, but that made those watching me worry._

A frown settles on Izuku's face as she recalls how her mother, her friends, and her teachers had worried for her due to her recklessness.

 _In order to become a cool hero who can smile and live up to everyone's expectations, I need to be able to do things in a way that won't make others worry._

Izuku steels herself; her emerald eyes focusing on a road ahead—a vision of her standing strong and confident.

 _That's the starting line where I can finally say, "I am here!"_

"Izuku!' Her mother interrupts her train of thoughts, excitedly. "Do you want to watch the recording? It's in HD! HD!"

"Uh, ah—I-I'll watch it later by myself…!" Izuku mutters out awkwardly, feeling embarrassed at the thought of watching herself on the television. She then returns to her food, grimacing at it before resolving herself to continue her struggle.

 _Though, first, I've got to manage to eat my own breakfast…!_

Inko sighs, shaking her head at her daughter's struggle. "I know you want to train, Izuku…" Izuku's mother narrows her eyes as Izuku wrestles with her breakfast. "But your breakfast is going to be cold by the time you get it on your fork." The green-haired woman prompts, "Are you sure you don't want me to help?"

"No, no, mom…!" Izuku shakes her head as she focuses on her left hand and her fork. "I'll do it on my own! It's training… after all—ahah!" Her smile widens, and her emerald orbs brighten as she is finally able to grasp a piece of the egg with her fork.

Inko chuckles at her daughter's triumphant grin as she finally eats some of her breakfast before she stands up, taking her dishes with her to the sink. Once placing the dishes in the sink, Inko moves to the living room which is connected to the dining room and picks up the television remote. After clicking the television on, Inko returns to the sink to wash her dishes as the sound of the show plays in the background.

"Breaking news—" The news reporter behind the television screen announces. "The Hero Killer strikes again! Yesterday afternoon, in Hosu city, Turbo Hero Ingenium was—"

At those words, Izuku turns around to stare at the television screen with her wide emerald orbs. _Ingenium…?_

On the other hand, Iida Tenya stares at his own breakfast blankly.

"Breaking news—" In the background, the news plays from the television. "The Hero Killer strikes again! Yesterday afternoon, in Hosu city, Turbo Hero Ingenium was struck down by the infamous Hero Killer and put into critical condition. Thankfully, he was found and rushed into the hospital in time so he survived the encounter—"

Tenya's grip on his chopsticks tightens as his indigo eyes glare down at his food. His eyebrows are furrowed and wrinkles form on his forehead as he grinds his teeth.

 _Nii-san…_

Tenya closes his eyes as images of his broken older brother laying on the hospital bed fills his mind. **Beep…! Beep…! Beep…!** The sound of Tensei's heartbeat echoes in his ears as the noise around him fuzzes out in static. His brother lays, tucked in the hospital bed with several wires hooked to him. The sound of the IV drip and the regular heartbeat bounces through the hospital room as his brother breathes with the aid of an oxygen mask.

The image sickens Tenya's stomache—making him lose his appetite.

Tenya places his chopsticks on his bowl with a frown on his face. Noticing her son's behavior, Tenya's mother questions him, "Tenya? What is the matter? Is there something wrong with your food?"

"Nothing is wrong mother." The teen shakes his head, "I seem to not be as hungry as I had thought. Please forgive me." Tenya gives his mother a smile—however, the emotion did not reach his eyes. "Excuse me," The bluenette stands, picking up his not even half-eaten breakfast. "I'll be returning to my room."

"O-oh… okay, dear." His mother watches her son leave the dining table.

Tenya takes this chance to put his dishes on the counter next to the sink before he leaves the dining room to return to his own room. Sliding the door close behind him, Tenya hears the click of the lock resounding through the dim-lit room.

The bluenette strides over to his desk for a moment, his fingers brushing against the smooth and cold surface. His indigo orbs narrow on the various articles which are piled on his desk—the top of which reads "Hero Killer Strikes Again". Eyebrows furrowing deeper, Tenya glances over the black and white image of his injured brother.

 _Nii-san…_

Tenya's lips fall into a scowl as he grinds his teeth together.

Things weren't supposed to be like this.

Tensei was supposed to be a hero—beloved by many—a strong, bright figure of justice.

 _I will avenge you…!_

* * *

 **So... the beginning of the filler arc is underway!**

 **I kind of rushed the ending... but I didn't know what else I could write here!**

 **Anyways, next chapter will be a fun one! Look forward to it!**

 **Please leave a comment and kudos before you leave~**


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